Thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies are wholesome and satisfying.

When I was growing up we didn’t often get to bakeries. There was really no need since my mom baked all the time at home. When I headed off to university, home baking was hard to come by. There were often care parcels from home and to fill the gaps in between deliveries I searched out local bakeries that baked cookies that tasted homemade. And I didn’t just go for any sort of cookie.

Because I was buying food on my own dime I became a bit of an expert in cookie value. Chocolate chip cookies tended to be thin and not very filling but oatmeal raisin cookies, when made well, were thick, wholesome and satisfying. They we larger than the other cookies and would tide you over for the afternoon. That’s how my fondness for this sort of cookie grew — out of sheer practicality.

From there the humble oatmeal raisin cookie became a staple on camping trips. During a day of hiking or mountain biking, thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies provided energy and substance and if they got squashed in your backpack you could always press them into a ball without losing a crumb.

I have several oatmeal raisin cookie recipes that yield thin cookies, but it took a bit to come up with a recipe for the thick and chewy oatmeal raisin cookies I remembered from my university days. This recipe is slightly adapted from the blog Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Baking tips:

• Chilling the dough is key to keeping the cookies thick while baking.
• This recipe doubles well and the cookies freeze well.
• To make these a bit more nutritious, add 1-2 Tbsp. of ground flax to the dough.

Thick and Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup + 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ½ Tbsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ Tbsp. Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
• 1 cup flour, spooned in
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups rolled oats (not instant)
• ½ cup raisins

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and light in colour. Beat in the egg then the vanilla and molasses.
2. In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture.
3. Add rolled oats and raisins and stir until well combined.
4. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonful (or use a medium cookie scoop) onto prepared sheet, about two inches apart.
7. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until edges are set but the middle still looks a little soft.
8. Let cool on the pan for a bit before removing to a rack to cool.