Chai Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is another recipe sent my way by S. (Check out The London Diaries!). She's made these twice and says they're to die for.

S sent me the original recipe, which came from the Serious Eats website. But she's also modified the recipe to suit her taste and has included those notes in parentheses. Go with what works for you!

serves 4 dozen cookies, active time 20 minutes, total time 45 minutes

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature (they really do mean it when they say “at room temperature.”)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs (or three small eggs)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I add a tiny splash extra)
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (the kosher bit isn’t necessary. Regular salt works just fine)
• 1 teaspoon cardamom (was really hard for me to find... I put in a slightly lumped teaspoon, so a tad bit more than one teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (I put in a teaspoon and a half, purely because I love cinnamon)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (very strong so kept to the ½ teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves (also very strong, but put in a pinch or two extra as I like cloves and they make the cookies smell ah-ma-zing!!)
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (went with just under a full teaspoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins (added a bit extra because they’re nice)
• 1 chai teabag (not the powder mix that you can get, you need the teabags)
• 2 cups boiling water

Procedures

1. Let chai tea steep in boiling water for 5 minutes. Discard teabag. Let raisins steep in chai tea for 15 minutes, then drain. (I leave them for a bit longer.... it doesn’t change much but the raisins do get nice and plump!)
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in two additions, beating until just combined. Stir in oats and raisins. Let dough chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough in rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. (I don’t know if it’s just my oven but I do find that I leave the cookies in for around 14 minutes. Then again... I do like them a bit crisp.)

I think I might try tossing in a handful of chocolate chips next time too!