Loaded Oatmeal Cookies (Paula Deen)

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°F Lightly grease cookie sheets. With electric mixer cream together butter, shortening and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk (it will appear a little curdled at this stage, don't worry).
• Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg,cinnamon, cloves and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Stir in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts and vanilla, blending well. (Dough will be soft and sticky).
• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. (I use a small cookie dough scoop that looks like an ice cream scoop--makes this job easy and ensures uniformly rounded cookies).
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Oven temperatures and size of cookies you make vary, so check your first batch at least by 9 to 10 minutes.
• For Brown Butter Glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, then continue to cook, stirring occasionally until butter is a golden brown.
• Remove pan from heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough water to make the icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm cookies.
• *Cook's Note: Paula Deen's original recipe calls for 3 cups of sifted powdered sugar. I found that to be too much. I also found it easier to bake all of the cookies and line them up closely on cooling rack, then make glaze and drizzle cookies all at one time. You get a more consistent glaze this way as it tends to harden as it cools.