December 2023
This recipe is meant to accompany an article I wrote for Wisconsin Outdoor News in December 2023, The Walnut Saga Continues. It is loosely based upon a recipe from Quaker Oats.
Makes 3 Dozen
1/2 cup plus 6 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
11/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon....I love Penzeys Vietnamese cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisons
1/4 cup chopped black walnuts (or regular English walnuts)
3 cups Quaker Oats...rolled not steel cut
1 10 0z package of Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chocolate chips
Using your electric mixer at medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugars together. I use the paddle attachment, as it will work better as the dry ingredients make mixing more difficult.
Add the eggs and and vanilla and mix well.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the mixing bowl with the liquids and mix well.
Add the raisons, oats, nuts and chocolate chips and mix well.
Using a serving spoon, drop rounded cookie dough onto a baking sheet. The size of the dough ball will control the size of the cookie. I make mine about 2 TBSP in volume.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Larger cookies will take a bit more time. Take them out when the upper surface begins to turn golden brown. Do not over bake or the cookies will be crunchy. I like mine softer. Let the cookies cool for a minute or so on the sheet pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. When fully cool, store in an airtight container.
These cookies are really great served warm, with the chocolate melting. I like to heat them up on the woodstove I have in my deer/turkey blind.
