Soft Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies

It cookie crunch time and no one has the time to mess around with finding just the right recipe for holiday baking.  You are in luck though if you found yourself to my blog because this recipe was designed to match what I felt that an oatmeal cookie should look, smell, taste, and feel like: thick and hearty,  seductively spicy scent, have flavor dimension, a light and chewy texture.

I used anything I knew about baking chemistry to put together just the right amounts of sugar, spice, and all the other nice things that make a homey cookie.   Why are they not the average oatmeal cookie?  Because they don't taste like oatmeal baked with just a ton of sugar and a few raisins that get flat and too crispy.  So this is a pride and joy for me and is my favorite cookie ever. If these are the things you crave, bake them along with me!

My Everything Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies depending on size will make 2 dozen

¾ c whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 c all purpose flour

1T potato starch

1/2t baking soda   1/2t baking powder

1 t salt

¾ t ground nutmeg

1 t  cinnamon

1/2 t garam masala spice

1 ¼ c dark brown sugar

¼ c powdered honey*

1 ½ sticks of butter, slightly softened

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 ¾ c quick oats

¼ c shredded organic unsweetened coconut

¾ c and ¼ c raisins and cranraisins soaked in 1/2c boiling water and 3 T cm spiced rum
(or brandy) for 15 min, then drained

1/4c mini cinnamon chips

1.   1. Whisk flour, bs, bp, salt, spices together

2.    2. Beat butter & sugar + honey powder on med high speed until smooth AND creamy

Scape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each one is incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 5 seconds

3.      Add half of the flour mix and mix for 15 seconds, add remaining flour, & beat until just incorporated.  Scrape down the bowl, add the oats, and beat until just combined.  Use the spatula to fold in raisins and cinnamon chips.

4.   3. Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 6 hours or overnight

Preheat oven to 350 convection bake, let dough rest at room temp will preheating oven
4. Line cookie trays with parchment paper.  Using a large cookie or ice cream scoop, drop balls on tray at least 2 inches from one another 

5.  Bake cookies for 12 min for large scoop, flattened slightly, then half way thru baking flatten if necessary a little more. (for smaller cookies 1T baked for 9 min)

Left on the tray about 4 min then to rack

* Honey powder is a natural sweetener that can be found in health/whole food markets.  I get my bags from an Asian/International food market.  It's an easy substitute for white refined sugar and is great in savory rubs or spice blends.