oatmeal cookie

Sally McKenney’s selected oatmeal-raisin cookies have soft centres, lightly crisp edges and a chewy texture from whole rolled oats. Cinnamon, vanilla and molasses flavour the buttery dough, with chopped toasted walnuts optional.

Softened unsalted butter is creamed with light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Eggs are mixed in, followed by vanilla extract and unsulphured molasses.

All-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt are whisked separately before joining the wet mixture. The oats, raisins and any walnuts are then mixed in to make a thick, sticky dough.

The selected preparation briefly soaks the raisins in warm water and blots them dry before mixing. The finished dough chills, then is portioned into balls on parchment-lined baking sheets.

The cookies bake until their sides are lightly browned while the centres still look soft. They set further on the baking sheet, then move to a rack to cool completely, keeping the soft-and-chewy texture McKenney describes.