milk and grown-up oatmeal cookies

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Well they're perfectly fine for children I'm sure, but when I first saw a recipe for oatmeal cookies with fat raisins I had to make them. The raisins are simmered in rum and white wine. Boozed up raisins have got to be good! Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite cookies so with drunken raisins...I really wanted to try these. Share them with the kids if you like, but after one bite you may want to tell your children these cookies are for "grown-ups".

The recipe is by Sherry Yard's newest cookbook Desserts by the Yard. I'm a fan of Sherry and love her latest cookbook. She made these cookies for a party at Spago for President Clinton. He declared them his favorite cookie. So in her cookbook she calls them President Clinton's Oatmeal Cookies. As if the drunken raisins weren't reason enough to try them, they've also got a Presidential endorsement! I have to say after making them, I agree with President Clinton. These are some good cookies.
The fat raisins are so tasty and add a wonderful depth of flavor to the cookie. And look how pretty the raisins are, like little jewels!

After making these tipsy raisins I want to put them in everything. They'd be great in muffins, over ice cream, or maybe in sticky buns...mmmm...all the possiblities. Luckly I doubled the raisin portion of the recipe and have leftovers to use. I'll let you know how I use them!

For the Fat Raisins
1 cup seedless golden raisins
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 tablespoons sugar
Make the Fat Raisins: Place the raisins, wine, orange juice, dark rum, and sugar in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat so that the raisins are at a bare simmer, and poach for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered with plastic wrap. (The raisins will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.)


For The Cookies
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspon baking soda
7 ounces (1-3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Make the Cookies: Sift the flour and the baking soda together in a small bowl.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle. Add the sugars and spices. Continue creaming the mixture on high speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 2 more minuts. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each addition. Beat on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds, until the eggs are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle.
On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture, beating until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Still on low, mix in the oats and raisins.
With a rubber spatula, scoop out half the dough and plop it down along the center of a sheet of parchment paper. Roll it up in the paper, creating a log about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Twist the ends of the parchment and fold them over, creating sausages. Refigerate the dough logs for a minimum of one hour. (Well wrapped, the dough can be refigerated up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)
Place the racks in the middle and the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degreesF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unroll the dough. Using a chef's knife or a serrated knife, preferably offset, slice 1/2-inch-thick rounds off the log. Place the cookies on the baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets from the top to bottom and from front to back, and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, until nicely browned. Remove the cookies from the oven and carefully slide the parchment off the sheet and directly onto the work surface. Cool for at least 5 minutes before eating, or cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Makes about 4 dozen smaller cookies or 2 dozen large