Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I know that's a conceited claim, that these are the best oatmeal raisin cookies...but I wouldn't claim it if it wasn't true. I promise you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that these will be the best oatmeal raisin cookies you will ever eat in your life. They are chewy and soft and perfectly spiced, with just the perfect amount of both oatmeal and raisins. Everyone who tries these raves about them.

Now you can make them too, and collect all the accolades for yourself. I promise, I won't tell that it's not your original recipe.

Disclaimer: These are not healthy for you. Cookies are not meant to be. They are a sometimes food. Healthy cookies are just...gross. If you're on a diet, don't make these. But if you want a great treat to indulge in once in a while, these are your ticket.

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Makes 3 dozen.

1 cup margarine {2 sticks of Earth Balance}, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup unrefined white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 banana, mashed well
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and banana and mix well.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture until combined.
3. Add oats and raisins and stir until evenly distributed. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased {or parchment-lined} cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Robin Robertson's version of the classic Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shells

This afternoon I made the Chocolate Peanut Butter Shells from The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes — yum! They are so delicious, but very rich.

The chocolate dough was a dream to work with, but the peanut butter dough was a pain in the butt. However, I chalk that up entirely to my own stupidity. I got overzealous and started mixing the peanut butter filling ingredients before reading the directions. Do you know how hard it is to combine a bunch of peanut butter with a bunch of powdered sugar? I’ll give you a hint — VERY. I’m sure it would have been much better if I’d slowly added the powdered sugar, as the author so helpfully suggests. D’oh! In the end, it all came out okay, though.