Granny Jones' Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This Classic Recipe from my granny Jones was always a welcome surprise when I would go to her house to muck her 2 large chicken coops in southern Oklahoma. I actually couldn’t stand raisins cooked in any dish( a texture thing I suppose) but when she raised her kitchen windows to let the air cool of the house after baking these rough round delicacies, the raisins added to the aroma of the cookie dough and was carried by the breeze all the way out to the coops; so strong was the aroma , the smell of the mucking was forgotten, and I dug in and worked even harder, anticipating eating them with a fresh glass of milk. Yes! , Milk cows in the barn across the road at Aunt Gerties, I didn’t waste any time. As soon as I laid fresh straw down, I immediately jumped on my bike and rode over to aunt Gerties to get a gallon of fresh milk. I ran in excitedly “Gertie I need to milk a cow, Granny has fresh cookies made,” Ok “she said,” I reckon they are ready to be milked”. I lined 2 cows up I thought looked full, Of course I had my favorites. When you grow up on farms and milk cows, you get to where you know exactly which cow, you are drinking milk from. I cleaned off the teats and started milking, occasionally scratching just inside the pit of her leg, the milk seemed to flow easier as I tugged on her. A little bend up to squirt a mouthful up to me as a bonus, she would not mind. After I finished milking, I carried the buckets up to Gertie so she could transfer them to gallon jars. Usually a gallon was a dollar with a jar returned, But I milked the cows and got my gallon free! Man! I could not wait I put the gallon jar in the basket on the back of my bike. Gertie would always give me an old flower sack to wrap around it so the bouncing wouldn’t crack her jars. I was a speed demon getting to those fresh cookies. I would ride back, pull up to the back gate, grab the jar of milk and run inside the back door. Granny with her big smile. “Where did you go? “Granny I could smell those cookies out there in the coop I was cleaning and I didn’t want to take the chance of you being out of milk, so I rode over to Gerties and milked her cows and got a free gallon of milk! “I replied. Then like magic she opened the oven door and pulled out this huge stack of cookies, She placed them right in front of me and tossed me the flower sack in case I needed to wipe the milk of my face, then a big glass of warm 1000%whole milk! I was standing in high cotton! I thought the world was mine and it was, according to granny. I sorted out the raisins in my mouth then sucked the juice out of them before chewing them up. I was not about to tell Granny I did not want raisins. Beggars cannot be choosers. Right!

I hope you enjoy this recipe, every time I make them, I am reminded of my fun days with my Granny Jones!

Prep time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes to chill dough

Bake time: 8-10

Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

½ c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 t. real vanilla extract

3½ c. quick oats

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

½ t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

1 c. raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat® baking mat. Set aside.

2. Cream the butter with the brown and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add in eggs and vanilla, and mix on low speed to combine.

4. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and then add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix. Stir in raisins until combined.

5. Cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.

6. Divide the dough into 24 equal-sized balls. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet with 1-2 inches between balls of dough. Press balls down with the bottom of a glass.

Tip: To keep the dough from sticking to the glass, wet the bottom of the glass before pressing down on the dough.

7. Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!