Everyone, and I mean everyone, always loves the cookies Michelle makes. This is particularly true of the chocolate chip cookies she makes and the oatmeal raisin cookies. I love the both myself, but I have to admit the oatmeal raisins are my favorite. They come out perfectly and I am pretty sure I could eat an entire batch of them myself if I put my mind to it. What’s her secret recipe? Well, it’s hardly a secret really. She uses the same recipe as is listed on Quaker Oats’ website for their cookies, but she does tweak it a little.

Michelle’s Famous Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick cooking Irish oatmeal

2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the butter and both of the sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl and mix well. Add the combined flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well. Slowly stir in the oats until just combined.Fold in the raisins until just combined. Drop rounded teaspoons of cookie dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then remove to a wire rack for further cooling.

That’s all there is to them. The only changes she really makes are in the oats and raisins. She uses the Irish oatmeal a lot of  the time. It seems to have a more natural and better flavor than from the standard Quaker Oats we have bought in the past and I really like them this way. She also adds in twice the amount of raisins as is in the standard recipe. This seems to make the cookies softer and more chewy, which is great in an oatmeal raisin cookie. As I said, everyone really seems to enjoy them, and she just made them this weekend and we devoured them at every chance, almost as quick as they were coming out of the oven. I had to stop and make a plate just to be sure I could get a picture of them before they all disappeared.

That’s the recipe for today. Check back later in the week and I’ll have a few more recipes, including a little different take on baby back ribs that I made last night, a new chicken recipe and even some burger recipes I want to try. I have a few others in store for the coming weeks as well that should be great that I have picked up from various sources, including The New York Times, Food Republic, Alton Brown, Marc Murphy, Bon Appetit and many more. Keep checking back to see how they work out. Enjoy the rest of your spring day today and enjoy your meal!