I don’t make cookies with raisins in them very often because my crew always ask, “What? No chocolate chips?” But I make chocolate chip cookies so often that sometimes I need to fill the cookie jar with some other flavor.

Enter today’s Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies. As oatmeal raisin cookie recipes go, this is one of the best out there. Toasting the pecans adds wonderful crunch to these sweet, slightly chewy cookies. The only thing that could possibly make them better would be to add chocolate chips, but that wouldn’t be fair, right?

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.

2. Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Coarsely chop.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.

5. Drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly.

6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics Cookbook by Ina Garten

Nope, nothing against Josh. It’s just that I love this cover. Very pretty arrangement.

Check out Holly Sergeant on Bandcamp, where her song covers are available as free downloads.

Cheers!