Makes 4 dozen cookies
A VERSION OF THIS COOKIE APPEARED IN MY BOOK REAL SWEET, MADE WITH A few different ingredients to fit the spirit of that title, but this recipe is the original article, my Gramma’s oatmeal cookie, responsible for all my homemade oatmeal cookie memories.
If you are one of those people who thinks you don’t like raisins in cookies, I have to ask, have you tried an oatmeal cookie with golden raisins? Because it’s really a script-flipper, especially when combined with toasty walnuts. As long as I’ve made these cookies, I’ve always wondered why Mrs. Braun (pronounced “Brown,” God bless those sturdy German last names) chose golden over dark raisins, because it’s a pretty dang inspired choice. One request: Don’t be tempted to swap out the shortening to make an all-butter cookie. Of course you can, and I have, but the combination of the two creates the stuff of bendy-cookie-lover dreams.
3 cups/300 g old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ cups/192 g unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup/92 g vegetable shortening
½ cup/113 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup/225 g dark brown sugar
1 cup/200 g granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup/120 g golden raisins
¾ cup/100 g chopped walnuts
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Line two 12 × 17-inch/30 × 43 cm baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the shortening, butter, and brown and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and stir in the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. Stir in the raisins and walnuts.
Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop the batter in mounds, evenly spaced about 2 inches/5 cm apart, onto the baking sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until the edges are golden brown and can be lifted with a fingertip, but the cookies are still soft in their centers, about 12 minutes. Let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.