Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

YUM!!! These are perfect! I've tried a few different oatmeal raisin recipes, but these are so good that I'll probably never try a new recipe. Okay, well, that's unlikely, but they're still awesome.

I found the original recipe at Smitten Kitchen and I really haven't diverted much from the original recipe. The original makes a few dozen small cookies, and is technically a half recipe. I'm going to write the whole recipe, as I like to make it, which makes something like 50 or 60 cookies--so long as you keep them small. I freeze them, and they taste great right out of the freezer.

Ingredients

• 1 c oil (or butter, but then you'll need to melt it for the way I put it all together)
• 2/3 c brown sugar
• You can easily reduce this amount since the raisins/craisins are so sweet
• 2/3 c honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 t salt
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 3 c rolled oats
• 1 1/2 c raisins or craisins
• 1 c chopped walnuts, optional

Preparation

Mix the oil, sugar, honey, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl. I don't have a mixer, so I do it all with a wooden spoon. Once it's fairly homogenous-looking, sprinkle the baking soda on top and mix until it's homogenous again. Repeat that process for the cinnamon and salt. Do the same for the flour, mixing 1/2 c in at a time. Pour in the rolled oats, raisins/craisins, and walnuts if you're using them. (I never actually have.) Mix well.

Now here's the key: Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or more!!! Smitten Kitchen makes a big deal about this step, and I think it really works. It's what makes the cookies chewy.

Pre-heat your oven to 350˚F/175˚C.

Use 1 T to scoop the cookie dough onto a baking sheet, 2" apart. Bake 7-8 minutes, and remove when they are brown on the edges but are still under-cooked looking in the center. Leave the cookies on the tray for 5 minutes before removing them. 

Enjoy!

I got a little over-zealous with cookie dough placement

These cookies are 4-year-old approved!

"Mama, do they have sugar in them?!"

Here you can see how they need to be browned on the edges but under-cooked in the middle when you pull them out of the oven 

After 5 minutes on the baking sheet they have browned pretty much all over

Crunchy, Oven-Baked Chicken

This seriously yummy recipe came from Rachael Ray. Of course I can't find the original recipe, and I have changed things around to my liking anyway. :) You can make this into chicken breasts, or chicken fingers. I usually do fingers because the breading is so good, but I add one whole breast for a sandwich for Dan to take to work the next day.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 c (or more) corn flakes
• 1 1/2 c bread crumbs 
• I save the crusts that I cut off the boys' PB&J sandwiches, save them in the freezer, and then blend them to make bread crumbs
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• The original recipe calls for ground allspice, but I haven't found any here in SA. The cayenne pepper adds a bit of kick that is missing without the allspice
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 3 T olive oil
• 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, filleted, or cut into 2"x1" pieces
• 1/3 c flour
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preparation

Heat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.

Crush the cornflakes, and then mix in the breadcrumbs, sugar, salt, black pepper, cinnamon or allspice, and cayenne pepper if desired. Drizzle 3T olive oil over the mixture, and mix through.

Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg, then coat the chicken thoroughly in the breadcrumb/cereal mixture. Arrange on a baking sheet. Cook until brown and crisp--the original recipe calls for 15 min, but mine are usually done by about 8-10 minutes.

Serve with ketchup, honey mustard, or a dipping sauce of your choosing. Enjoy!