Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Walnuts - Yum!

So I did take some time off from blogging, recipes, and cooking all together, and now I think I am recharged and ready to start again. I have to admit, with a full time job, dog, husband and the rest of everyday life it's hard to find time for this. Photographing your food before you eat it (LOL), editing, and publishing recipes - it all takes time, and sometimes I just want to be lazy and read a book or watch DVR-ed shows... or just enjoy a glass of wine with take-out.
I actually thought I would have more time to do that this past summer, but I was wrong. Summer in Chicago is so short and I tried to do as much as I could outside, enjoying nice weather before it's gone again. It comes and goes so fast, it's over before you know it. More and more I think about moving somewhere with a milder climate. I love Chicago, I love where we live, our big loft with great city views and huge rooftop deck, but the climate here might just not be worth it anymore. This country has so many great places to live to offer. Right now I would like to move to Pacific Northwest. I know, i know, the weather there is not as great as in Arizona but there i so much more to do out there. Pacific coast, mountains, beautiful lakes, trails, lighthouses, rain forests, wineries... and I don't think they get as much snow as we get here, in the midwest. Right? Portland and Seattle are my two top cities whre I could see myself living for the next couple of years...

So, cookies?! I'm not sure what made want cookies this weekend, but all of the sudden I had to make cookies. Sugar cookies are definitely my top choice but white chocolate macadamia take the spotlight completely. Oatmeal raisin are number three, and that's pretty much all cookies I really like. So I rarely make cookies, since I try to stay in "shape" and once I have cookies sitting on my counter top looking at me - I can't resist! I could finish the whole batch! In fact, I actually had (in the past)... so I stay away from making cookies...


I started with the Quaker Oatmeal Cookies recipe and modified it to my likings, if I can say that. I used margarine instead of butter to make it healthier, and I added chopped walnuts. I also reduced the amount of sugar. My husband likes white chocolate in his cookies, so after I split the cookie dough I added some chopped white chocolate to the second batch. The cookies were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, warm, straight from the oven tasted amazing with a big glass of cold milk!

Walnut and white chocolate with raisins and oatmeal - I have to admit - I was worry about all this ingredients but the effect was delicious. You can almost call them everything but kitchen sink cookies or garbage cookies??? maybe not...

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Walnuts

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons soften butter {margarine}
  
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar {1/4 cup}
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins
• { 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, and chopped white chocolate-optional}

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins {and walnuts and chopped white chocolate} - mix well.

{Refrigerate cookie dough for about 10-15 minutes before dropping, it helps with the stickiness}

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.