These Old Fashioned Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are soft, tender and little cakey.
You know what I like about Oatmeal Raisin Cookies? They aren't fussy. Which is probably why my brother likes them so much. He is the least fussy person I know. Growing up my little brother, A, would request Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and I would indulge him every now and again. This past weekend he graduated from Villanova University (so proud!) and I thought it would be sweet (no, pun intended) to bring him his favorite childhood cookie.
Confession: I usually make the Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe off the Quaker Oats box. They are darn good, but I decided to be adventurous and make a recipe from The Settlement Cookbook by Lizzie Black Kander. The cookies are chewy, flavorful, and more cakey than others I have tried. They have just the right ratio of oatmeal to raisins.
My brother, A, doesn't share my love of doughy cookies. When I made cookies when he was younger I would bake a special batch of cookies just for him. I just want to say that cooking non-doughy cookies is really difficult. I have this physical need to take them out of the oven when the middles still look a little under baked. Every fiber of my being rebels. A is not a fan of this practice, so when attempting to bake an entire 3 dozen oatmeal raisin cookies for his college graduation, it was a bit trial and error.
My fiancé so generously volunteered to taste test each batch to ensure proper doneness. Each time he would try one and pronounce it "doughy". Crestfallen, I would return to the kitchen to try again. Each successive batch I would leave the Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in the oven for an extra minute, because not even my brother likes crunchy cookies. Shudder! I think I finally got it on the last batch. I tried, A, I tried!
I stacked the cookies in a plastic baggie and delicately placed them atop his real present in my carry-on. TSA has no respect for home baked cookies. Unfortunately after all that effort I presented my brother with Oatmeal Raisin Crumbles. Fortunately he just laughed and they disappeared all the same!
Old Fashioned Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups oatmeal
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all dry ingredients together and then add the raisins. Mi to coat and distribute evenly. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, and beat until incorporated. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture, stir to mix. Add the milk to make a stiff dough. Honestly I never know what this means, so I just added all of it and it was fine. It’s not bread. Geez.
- Drop tablespoons on a baking sheet 1 inch apart.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes depending on your desired “doneness”. These cookies really don’t spread and it helps them cook evenly if you tap the top down a little. Not necessary.
Notes
You know what else I like about Oatmeal Raisin Cookies? They kind of feel like a health food. Oatmeal + Raisins = healthy. No?
Our family makes these all the time. We nicknamed Oatmeal Raisin Rocks...lol. Great dunking cookie for coffee or hot chocolate! The Settlement Cookbook was my Mom's " kitchen bible". To add the milk to make a stiff dough means to add just enough milk. The dough is suppose to be semi dry, not moist. I almost always only need about 2-3 tablespoons. The cookies are not really flat. That occurs when all the milk is added. (And there's nothing wrong with that - they're great either way). Hope that helps.
haha! That seems like an appropriate name! I love the Settlement Cookbook. It is one of my "go-tos" when I am looking for a recipe. Your tips definitely help, Deb!
Can you tell me which version cookbook these are in? I have the same recipe and want to buy the old cook book. I bought the 1965 version and it is not in there! Thank you
It's the 1947 edition 🙂