After posting recipes for chocolate chip cookies and brownies, I thought of adding another classic to the repertoire. In my bakery, oatmeal raisin cookies were as popular as their chocolate chip counter part. The smell of cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and oats would fill the kitchen every time we baked them, and anyone who happened to step in, would inhale, and smile.

This time, I decided to pack the cookies with chocolate and nuts too, so that my kids can get some energy for the afternoon, when they snack on them.

The recipe’s inspiration is The Bouchon Bakery, and Thomas Keller is the chef behind it. The amount of eggs is tricky here. They go by volume and weight, not by number of eggs. I mixed two large eggs, and measure out the quantity requested by the recipe – roughly one and half large eggs. In the next few days, I am sure, someone in my family will eat scramble eggs or an omelette, and I’ll fold the leftover egg in it.

Gluten-free Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Simona’s Flour Mix                         1 cup and 1 teaspoon (160 gr)
Ground cinnamon                            1 Tablespoon
Baking soda                                      1 ½ teaspoons
Salt                                                    1 ¼ teaspoons
Brown sugar                                     ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons (69 gr)
Granulated sugar                              ¼ cup + 1 Tablespoons (69 gr)
Unsalted butter, softened                 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons (155 gr)
Eggs                                                   ¼ cup (62 gr)
Vanilla extract                                   1 1/2 teaspoons
Gluten-free old-fashioned oats       2 cups (155 gr)
Raisins                                               1 cup (156 gr)
Chocolate chips (optional)                1 cup (156 gr)
Nuts of your liking (optional)           1 cup (156 gr)

If the raisins are not plump, pour hot water over them and let them sit for about 30 minutes before making the cookies, then drain and pat thoroughly dry.

Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift in the cinnamon and baking soda, add the salt, and whisk together. In a small bowl whisk together the sugars, breaking up any lumps.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn to medium-low speed and cream the butter, until it is the consistency of mayonnaise and holds a peak when the paddle is lifted. Add the sugars and mix for 3 to 4 minutes, until fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until just combined. Scrape down the bowl again. The mixture may look broken, but that is fine (over-whipping the eggs could cause the cookies to expand too much during baking and then deflate).

Add the combined dry ingredients in 2 additions, mixing until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to incorporate any dry ingredients that have settled there. Add the oats and raisins and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and nuts (if desired) and combine.

Use a medium size cookie scoop, and place the dough on the baking sheets. Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand.

Bake the cookies until golden brown, 14 to 16, reversing the positions of the pans halfway through baking.

Set the pans on a cooling rack and cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

The cookies are best the day they are baked, but they can be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days.