Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
About 36 cookies

Adapted from Nick Malgieri's book, Perfect Light Desserts: Fabulous Cakes, Cookies, Pies, and More Made with Real Butter, Sugar, Flour, and Eggs (HarperCollins).

1 cup flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup dark raisins (or dried cranberries)

2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, foil, or silicone mats

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and set the rack on the lower and upper thirds of the oven.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the brown sugar, then the egg, applesauce, and vanilla.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients, then the oats and raisins.

5. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoons 2-inches apart on the baking sheets and use a fork to gently flatten the dough.

6. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they "look dull on the surface but are moist and soft", according the Nick. Rotate baking sheets during baking for even heating.

(I made mine bigger, so whatever size you make them, just bake them until they look as directed by Nick.)

Storage: Once cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

UPDATE FROM JAN:

These cookies were AWESOME. My family gave them a 10! Here's how I tweaked the recipe - I used Cinnamon Applesauce instead of plain, I added an additional 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and I added more oatmeal because I thought batter was a little thin - I probably added an additional 1/2 cup of oatmeal -

Actually, I doubled the entire recipe when I made these, so I don't know exactly how much oatmeal I added, but 1/2 cup for the original recipe sounds about right...

You will love these - amazing cookies for only 2 tablespoons of butter....

Oh, I baked them on a Silpat liner on my cookie sheet - those liners are wonderful, cookies turn out perfectly baked every time!