Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa

Frankly my photo below is better than the one in the book.

I always feel good about myself if I eat a whole grain. Never mind if it is coated in butter and sugar. Remember kids,it is a health food if it has wheat or oats in it. But dang, you add raisins and pecans and it is practically screaming out, "Better than Wheat Grass!" The new Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics has a killer recipe for oatmeal cookies. You can buy this cookie in a mix form, but it will cost you 11.00. Here is the recipe for free:

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (two sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temp.
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temp.
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and the salt together into a medium bowl. (or you can do like I do and just dump them together). With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2 inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

• To avoid the "cookie spread"; chill the dough, use cold pans, avoid peaking in the oven.
• Chewier cookie lovers should; remove the cookies before lightly browned and let the cookie sit on the cookie sheet for exactly 1 minute. Then remove them to cool on a rack.
• Nut haters; sorry, try another recipe.
• This would be good with cranberries or dried cherries.