Is there anything better than warm, gooey cookies fresh out of the oven? The answer: probably not! Growing up, my mom and grandma always made these oatmeal raisin cookies – which are actually one of my great grandmother’s recipes – and they’ve become a family favorite over the years. The recipe calls to soak the raisins for one hour prior to baking, and I think it makes all the difference. Dunk the warm cookies into a cold glass of milk and it’s sure to put a smile on your face!
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This past Monday, I started my new job at a public relations firm in LA. Since I’m currently living in Orange County, I have to commute every day of the week. One of my good friends, Molly, graciously invited me to stay at her apartment a couple of days during the week to break up the drive.
I gratefully accepted her offer, but told her that I had to reciprocate in some way, whether that be paying a small amount, buying her dinner or baking for her and her roommates. She wouldn’t accept my money offer, but gladly agreed to the suggestion of me baking something for the apartment.
I decided on Paula Deen’s five-star recipe for caramel apple cheesecake bars with a streusel topping. I didn’t have time to make homemade caramel sauce, but thought the bars were plenty sweet enough without the drizzle. The subtle crunchiness of the Granny Smith apples was a nice contrast to the silky cream cheese interior.
Everyone absolutely loved the bars, from my friend Molly to my mom to my boss. I will surely make these dessert bars in the future, particularly because of their versatility—eat them for breakfast, a snack or dessert.
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As a little parting gift for my last day of work at Angeleno magazine, I thought it would be nice gesture to bake my co-workers some cookies. First, I knew that no one would complain about homemade cookies and second, it gave me the perfect excuse to bake.
I decided to bake my great grandmother’s oatmeal raisin cookies, as well as my favorite/go-to peanut butter cookies (will post at a later date). I had never made these oatmeal raisin cookies before, but oh boy were they a hit. I brought more than 60 cookies to work and not a crumb was left in the Tupperware container.
One of my co-workers, who I find absolutely hilarious, couldn’t get enough of the oatmeal raisin cookies. She told me they were worthy enough for a story by Angeleno’s acclaimed food critic, Brad A. Johnson. Although I appreciated her compliments, I highly doubt my cookies are up to par with the gourmet food typically covered in the magazine.
What I love most about these cookies is their texture—the subtle crunchiness of the edges juxtaposes the somewhat gooey interior if baked just right. So even though my great grandmother’s cookies probably wouldn’t be served at a five-star restaurant, they are absolutely scrumptious and extremely easy to make!
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