ANDREW’S OATMEAL IRRESISTIBLES (about three dozen three inch cookies)

 

1-1/2 cups walnut halves

1-1/2 cups raisins

1-1/2 cups unsweetened granola mix

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1-2/3 cups bleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

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1. Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375*.

2. Place the walnuts on a cookie sheet and bake them, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

3. Soften the butter and chop the walnuts coarsely.

4. In a large bowl, toss together the raisins, granola, rolled oats and chocolate chips.

5. Into a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine well.  Add the walnuts and set aside.

6. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugars until blended. Add the butter and beat until smooth and creamy.  Scrape the sides of the bowl.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl.  At low speed, add the flour mixture and beat it just until incorporated.  Scrape the mixture into the bowl containing the chocolate chip mixture and stir together.

7. Use your hands, or a 2 inch (number 30) scoop, to shape the dough into 1-3/4 inch golf balls (about 2 level tablespoons of dough), and place them 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Twelve cookies will fit on a 10 inch by 15 inch cookie sheet.

8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or just until the tops are turning light brown. The cookies should still be very soft when lightly pressed in the centers, although the edges will be set.  It’s better to underbake than to overbake.  For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking.

9. Cool for a few minutes on the sheets until firm enough to lift. Transfer to racks to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.  Keeps several weeks at room temperature and several months frozen.  The unbaked dough keeps at least 5 days covered tightly and refrigerated.