Oatmeal Cookies from the Corner Bakery Cafe

These generous oatmeal cookies are our new favorites; they are big in both size and flavor; chewy and not too sweet. The recipe was published in the reader request column of the Los Angeles Times.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 48
• Yields: 48 cookies

Ingredients

• 3 1⁄2 cups  pastry flour (1 pound)
• 4  teaspoons baking soda
• 3  tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 3⁄4 lb butter (3 sticks)
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
• 2 1⁄3 cups brown sugar
• 2  eggs
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 4 1⁄2 cups  old-fashoned rolled oats
• 1  cup currants or 1  cup raisins

• Optional

• 1  cup  chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, and in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
2. In a large bowl and using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then beat in the vanilla; beat in the flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, just until incorporated, then gently fold in the oats and currants (or raisins).
3. Scoop a generous 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet; flatten the ball slightly and repeat, spacing the balls about 3 inches apart (you should be able to fit 6 cookies on a standard-size sheet).
4. Bake until the cookies are golden and set, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through for even baking; remove and cool the cookies from the sheet, and cool (still on the parchment) on a rack.