Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July everyone! It's just a normal work day here in Belfast, but I can't help but think of everyone back home with their lovely sunny day off, a long, lazy barbeque to look forward to, and a fantastic fireworks display to top it all off. *Sigh*


Feeling slightly sorry for myself for missing out on everything yesterday, I decided I'd bake something to celebrate the 4th from afar. It was kind of a last minute decision, though, so ingredients were sparse. Although they're not exactly what I'd associate with a 4th of July shindig, oatmeal raisin cookies were the end result. I used to make these a lot when I lived in the States, but I haven't made them once since moving to the island of Ireland (so, for almost 10 years!) It's not because I don't still really like them, but they've always seemed a bit like pumpkin pie over here - in other words, something rather odd that Americans like to eat. I brought some of these along to a small gathering of friends last night, however, and they got rave reviews, so perhaps the time is right for an oatmeal raisin cookie revolution in Northern Ireland!


If I'd been at home in the States, I'd probably have followed the recipe on the back of the Quaker Oats box. This time, though, I opted to follow a very similar recipe from Ireland's own Rachel Allen. The result is a lovely, buttery cookie that doesn't flatten too much when baked, making for a substantial, oat-y, raisin-y bite. Yum!  

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Adapted from Rachel Allen's Bake


110g butter, softened
110g caster sugar
110g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbls water
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g porridge oats
110g plain flour
2 level tsp baking powder
1 level tsp salt
110g raisins


Preheat the oven to 180°C. If your raisins have been sitting around in the cupboard for a while, like mine had, soak them in a bit of warm water (or, if you feel so inclined, rum would be a nice flavour addition!), and drain them just before adding them in to the mixture later on.


Cream the butter and sugars together in a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in a stand alone electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg, water and vanilla extract while the mixer is still going. Reduce the speed to low and add in the oats, flour, baking powder, salt and raisins. Mix gently until everything comes together into a nice, soft dough.

Measure out level tablespoons of the mixture onto ungreased, unlined baking trays, leaving a bit of space in between each dollop for spreading during baking. (Resist the urge to eat more dollops than you place on the trays.)

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown in colour but still a little bit soft in the middle.


Cool on baking trays for a minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


Enjoy!

Bad lighting, but you get the point...

xx Tina