Phew is all I gotta say, as I crunch an Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie, phew.
I never thought I’d be wishing for the past.
Not that my past is all that tragic. Or sad. Or anything other than a fond memory.
Still, when I was a kid I was painfully shy, stick thin, and tough as nails. Not a great combination if your main goal in life is just being accepted. I quickly learned that swimming pools and tennis courts fell behind enemy lines. Day camp was deadly. Even the street in front of my house was a battlefield. Kids can be cruel. Unsupervised and roaming the neighborhood they can be colossally cruel. Like a wolf pack– on the hunt and in your face.
The past four years have reminded me how that felt.
But, I also remember myself as a young and out gay man. I remember how powerful I felt on that Santa Barbara, California dance floor in my Boy London sweatshirt.
But that was then and this is now. This election. This time. This moment. They make me yearn for the simpler things. A time when we could all agree that an Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie was good. It wasn’t fancy. It may not have even been my favorite cookie. But damn it tasted good.
It’s a happy day when you can enjoy a cookie. Make it an Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie and you hold the best of times in your hand.
I’ve got an Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookie in my hand because I’ve got a feeling that “Happy Days Are Here Again”. If only I still had that damn Boy London sweatshirt! GREG
Zooies Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Print This Recipe Yield 36 coookiesSource Adapted from Zooies Cookies via LA TimesPublished
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teas teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cup old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 ½ cup dark raisins
Directions
Whisk both flours, the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until well-mixed.
Beat the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy and very smooth. Scrape the bowl and beat again on medium speed. With the machine running, gradually add the whisked eggs and vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl again and beat on low speed. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Beat until almost incorporated; some streaks of flour should remain. Add both oats and the raisins and beat just until evenly distributed; do not overmix.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a 2‑inch-diameter (1 ⅓‑ounce) cookie scoop, gently scoop a heaping yet loose mound of dough; you don’t want to pack the dough into the scoop. Gently scrape the hump of the mound against the side of the bowl, then drop the dough onto the baking sheet. Continue scooping the dough, spacing the mounds an inch apart. Using the palm of your hand, gently press all the mounds flat to 2 ½‑inch discs. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the chilled dough rounds to the prepared sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake, one sheet at a time, until golden brown around the edges and dry on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Greg — everything you said completely resonates with me, down to the Boy London apparel, though mine was a t‑shirt (which, if it was still extant today, might fit my right thigh). Happy Days Are (indeed) Here Again… and with Judy and Barbra, it couldn’t be any more fabulously happy and gay. Oh, and great cookies… I need them.
Your writing always gets me. I wouldn’t go back to childhood for anything. I wish politics wouldn’t enter a food blog, but after all, it is your blog. And I’m happy that you’re happy, and I hope it makes a personal difference to you. Great cookie recipe. I should try baking cookies again!
Believe me when I say the entire world breathed a collective sigh of relief when the election results were announced! And what a way to celebrate, with these gorgeous oatmeal cookies. And celebrate we did! Happy days indeed.♥️
Divine!
Those cookies look absolutely delicious. My mouth is watering.
Thank goodness for Happy Days being here again! 🙂 And thank goodness for these terrific cookies. Haven’t had an oatmeal cookie in years. Raisins are a must in them — add such a nice little bit of sweetness and chewiness. Very nice — thanks.