Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

For the recipe

• 225 g unsalted butter, softened but not melted
• 200 g light brown sugar, with any lumps broken up
• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs, approximately 100 g total without shells, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
• 190 g plain all-purpose wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (approximately 5 g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (approximately 3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (approximately 3 g)
• 240 g plain old-fashioned rolled oats (approximately 3 US cups)
• 150 g seedless raisins, weighed before any optional soaking

Instructions

1. Check the raisins and separate any clumps. Soft, plump raisins can be used directly. If they are unusually hard and dry, cover them with warm water for 10 minutes, then drain in a sieve and blot thoroughly between paper towels. The surfaces must be dry before the raisins go into the dough; discard the soaking water.
2. Line two large baking sheets, approximately 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inches, with baking parchment. Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature if necessary. The butter should be soft enough to indent easily but should still hold its shape.
3. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a separate bowl until the cinnamon is evenly distributed and no lumps of baking soda remain.
4. Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and white sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Stop once to scrape down the sides and bottom. The mixture should look creamy and slightly fluffy.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for approximately 20-30 seconds after each addition. Add the vanilla and scrape the bowl again so the mixture is evenly combined.
6. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until only a few small streaks of flour remain.
7. Add the rolled oats and prepared raisins. Fold with a sturdy spatula until evenly distributed and no dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl. The dough will be thick, soft and slightly sticky.
8. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. This gives the oats time to absorb moisture and makes the dough easier to portion. Keep the dough chilled longer if the kitchen is very warm or the butter was unusually soft.
9. During the final 15 minutes of chilling, heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F conventional, or 160°C / 320°F fan. Position a rack in the centre.
10. Divide the dough into 24 equal portions, approximately 55 g each. Shape loosely into rounded mounds without compressing them tightly. Arrange 12 portions in three rows of four on each large baking sheet, keeping their centres approximately 10 cm apart.
11. Press the tops gently to make thick rounds approximately 2 cm high. Push any raisins protruding far from the edges back into the dough so they are less likely to scorch. Keep the second tray chilled while the first one bakes.
12. Bake one tray at a time for 14-16 minutes. Rotate the tray once if needed for even browning. The edges should be golden, the tops should look matte and the centres should look set but still feel soft, with no shiny, wet dough in the middle.
13. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving them with a thin spatula to a wire rack. Cool for at least another 10 minutes so the centres finish setting. Bake the second chilled tray in the same way; if reusing a tray, cool it completely before adding more dough.
14. Serve once the cookies hold together and have cooled to the texture you prefer. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container so condensation does not make them damp.