Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

 On our recent road trip to Louisiana Luke and I stopped in at Buc-ees and I grabbed a package of oatmeal raisin cookies and Luke and I couldn't stop talking about how good they were and we decided that oatmeal raisin cookies are both of our FAVORITE cookies.  That had me thinking about why I don't think I've ever made them or ever made them WELL.  With Luke heading to San Antonio this week I wanted to send him off with something he'd be really excited about so I made this recipe and OH MY WORD they're HEAVENLY!

• 
  
• What You'll Need...
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon molasses (I used Grandma’s brand)
• 1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins (soak for 10 mins in warm water, blot dry)
• 
  
• What You'll Do...
• ONE - Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs and mix on high until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined. Set aside.
• 
  
• TWO - In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Beat in the oats and raisins on low speed. Dough will be thick, yet very sticky. Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the refrigerator (do the full hour if you’re afraid of the cookies spreading too much). 
• 
  
• THREE - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• 
  
• FOUR - Roll balls of dough (about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.Bake for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft and under-baked. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will continue to “set” on the baking sheet during this time.

These are soft and chewy with a "crispy" bottom - absolute perfection!