Ingredients

• • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup raisins

Directions

• Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow them to soak for about 10 minutes, or until plumped. Drain the raisins and set them aside.

  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar using a wooden spoon or electric mixer. Once the mixture is light and fluffy, add the eggs and vanilla and continue to whip until the ingredients are fully incorporated.

  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the blend all at once to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. Mix in the oats and then the drained, plumped raisins.

  Place tablespoon-size mounds of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Leave about 2 inches between the cookie mounds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the outer edges are lightly browned and the center looks a little underdone. This ensures a chewy cookie. If you prefer a crisper version, cook until each whole cookie is light golden brown. Cool on the pan for 2 to 3 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a rack to continue cooling.

Variations

• Add a cup of walnuts along with the raisins for extra crunch. Substitute dried cranberries for the raisins for a change or toss in a cup of chocolate chips. Add a tablespoon of molasses along with the eggs to increase the chewiness and caramelized flavor of the cookies.

Raisin Haters

• If you've got a few eaters with a disdain for raisins, simply separate out half of the batter and add just 1/2 cup of plumped raisins to the remaining batter. This recipe without raisins is still chewy, spicy and satisfying. Bake time is the same for raisinless cookies.