I’m usually kind of disappointed when I’m offered an oatmeal raisin cookie. I mean, I’m not going to turn down a cookie, but why eat dried fruit when you can eat chocolate, you know? It’s like a working vacation, or a boring field trip. You’re glad to be out of the office, but you’d rather be sitting on the beach than listening to a potential client dither on. This cookie, however, changed my tune. I don’t know if it was the nuts, or possibly the dark brown sugar, but these were perfect, and not disappointing in the least.
The original recipe (Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics) called for pecans, but I prefer walnuts (and had them on hand), so that’s what I used. So, not only do these provide a healthy dose of oatmeal and raisins, but the walnuts added a little antioxidant punch. They’re practically health food. Just be sure not to overbake them. I overbaked one pan, and they were sadly inedibly dry the next day.
