Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My brother's favorite cookie is Oatmeal Raisin.  Since fall is here and maple syrup is in season, I decided to make some.  I make the cookies with some organic ingredients:  Organic Oats from Whole Foods that I get in the bulk bins for $1.19 per pound; Organic Butter; Organic Whole Foods 365 AP Flour; Organic Whole Foods 365 Brown Sugar; and Organic Eggs.  The Maple Syrup is from Vermont. It is brought back by friends who go there on ski trips.  Since it is local from there and brought back by people who are coming here anyway, I consider it a local good for me.  The salt, baking powder and cinnamon and raisin are all from Whole Foods.  It is not 100% Organic or local but it goes a long way in achieving those goals.

When I bake, I almost always triple the recipe.  It takes the same amount of time to make the dough but longer to bake each cookie sheet.  I like to have lots of cookies - some for home, some for work and some for the freezer for later.  The recipe below is for one batch but can easily be doubled or tripled

I use a recipe that have altered.  The original is from Martha Stewart's "Baking Handbook.  I do not add the coconut and cook them at a higher temperature.

Here is the recipe as altered:

1 1/2 cups All Purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 pure maple syrup
1 large egg
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk together.  Set aside.

Place butter and brown sugar into the bowl of a mixer.  Beat them together for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Add the maple syrup and mix to combine.  Add egg and vanilla, beat until combined.

 Add the flour mixture to the mixer bowl in 2 batches, until just combined.

Add the oats and raisins.  Mix until combined.

Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets in 1 1/2 inch balls. 

Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn the sheets halfway through baking.  Remove from oven, then place cookies on a wire rack to cool. 

 Tips:

Use parchment paper on the sheets to make it easier to clean up and to remove the cookies from the cookie sheet to the wire racks.

Use a cookie scoop to make the cookies all the same size and will all cook evenly.

Use Grade B maple syrup if you can find it.  I never can so I use Grade A and they are still good.