Kate's Birthday Recipes: The Best Oatmeal Cookies

Welcome to April everyone! Wow, this year is going by so fast already! Anyways, April is  my birthday month, and I am going share some of my all time favorite recipes and some of my special Kate's Birthday Recipes. But we are starting with deserts... it's my birthday month and I am starting with some of my favorite desserts. Come on... this birthday girl is going dessert crazy starting with my favorite oatmeal cookie recipe!

"Phoebe: Okay. We haven’t known each other for that long a time. And there are three things you should know about me. One, my friends are the most important thing in my live. Two, I never lie. And three, I make the best oatmeal-raisin cookies in the world. 

Rachel: Okay. Thanks, Pheebs. Why haven’t I tasted these before? 

Phoebe: Well, I don’t make them a lot. Because I don’t think it’s fair to the other cookies."

This oatmeal cookie recipe has been my favorite cookie recipe for many years.  I jumped on the Friends TV show train very late into the game, so I didn't see this episode until I bought the Friends DVDs. So when this cook book showed up around my birthday it was perfect. To this very day, I don't know who gave me this book. The package showed up, very mysteriously, with no card, no note and no return address. It was an amazing gift but I still wish I knew who sent it to me.

These cookies are so perfect, soft and so delicious. The cinnamon and the sweetness of the raisins work so well and balance out the toasty oats. The purpose of soaking the raisins is to keep them plump and juicy, even when baked into cookies! It's awesome and so are these cookies. They will not disappoint. Make a double batch so you can share some with friends or family...but make sure you have a secret cookie stash for your own.  

1 year ago: Ant Nancy's Middle Eastern Turkey and Lamb Meatballs 
2 years ago: Birthday Buttery Coconut Cupcakes from Barefoot Contessa

Phoebe's Oatmeal Cookies
recipe adapted from Cooking with Friends
Episode #12 The One With The Dozen Lasagnas
makes 24 large cookies so make a double batch!

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashion rolled oats
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup raisins,  I use Trader Joe's Organic Thompson Seedless Raisins

For the raisins: 
Boil 2-3 cups of water. Place the raisins in a medium mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over the raisins, the water needs to cover the raisins. Cover with a plate. Set aside for  20-25 minutes and then drain the water. 

Preheat the oven to 375˚F the cookies are so much better if they are slightly under baked. So please preheat the oven to 350˚F. Cream the butter and the sugars with an electric mixer  until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
Stir together the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the batter until just combined. Stir in the raisins.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto 2 large baking sheets, (no need to grease them but I used a silpat) leaving 2 inches between each ball of dough. Bake until the cookies are golden brown 12 to 15 minutes.  Bake for 9-10 minutes, the cookies should be nearly baked but still slightly under baked. Trust me, they are much better this way! 

Cool cookies on the cookie sheets for several minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool further.

Store in a plastic bag with 1 piece of white bread, this will keep the cookies from drying 

out.