Oatmeal Raisin (or Date, or Craisin) Cookies (A Non-Trendy Comfort Food Recipe)

Here's the new mixer with
 the old one visible in the
 background.

I bought myself a new mixer during Black Friday weekend and decided to try it out.  I have a heap of cookie recipes, and some are harder than others to mix by hand.  I used my old 350-watt Sunbeam Mixmaster to make cookies now and then, and it generally did pretty well, until I tried to make cookies with heavier dough.  I finally caved and bought a 525-watt Kitchenaid Professional 5 Plus mixer.  All that lovely extra power really helped when I made the dough for these cookies.




Oatmeal Raisin/Date/Craisin Cookies (about 4-5 dozen)

1 c butter (2 full sticks), softened
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
4 t cinnamon
1 t salt
3 c old-fashioned or quick oats
1 c raisins, craisins, or chopped dates

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add the rest of the ingredients one at a time, mixing well after each.  Dough will be stiff.  Drop by spoonfuls on a lightly sprayed baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees 9-10 minutes.  Let them cool on the baking sheet about 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

You can put the dough in the refrigerator overnight and bake it the next day if you like.  It will be VERY difficult (read "nearly impossible") to scoop when you first take it out.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes.