Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I like this recipe from the Miami Herald because of the raisin plumping step. This makes the cookies extra delicious. Adapted from Gourmet's America (Random, 1994) is very good, with a pleasant, spicy flavor. Cooking tip - if your cookies are spreading more than you would like & becoming "crisps", simply chill that dough down in the fridge. I do it on the cookie sheets & load them into fridge & chill 'em up for 30 minutes to several hours. Works for most any cookie dough if it is spreading too thin.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Yields: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1  cup raisins
• 1  cup hot water
• 1⁄2 cup butter, unsalted softened
• 3  tablespoons butter, unsalted softened
• 1  cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
• 2  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  cups rolled oats, old-fashioned thick
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 1⁄4 teaspoon clove, ground
• 1  teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets. In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the hot water, covered, for 30 minutes, until plump. Drain well.
2. Beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla.
3. In another bowl, whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt until blended. Stir into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon. Stir in the raisins.
4. Drop tablespoons of batter about 2 inches apart on prepared pans. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, until golden. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for no more than 5 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool completely.