While I lived in France I actually forgot how beautiful fall could be in Munich. Trees are plunged in all shades of red, orange and yellow while waves of leaves start to cover the floor, gleaming in the last warm sun rays of the year. Well, that’s as much as I see of it while taking a look through the windows of my new flat, which is in a complete mess at the moment. A bazillion of cartridge boxes are scattered everywhere between partly assembled pieces of furniture. Why partly? Well, while reading the instructions and assembling as you go, you always reach a point where the pieces described in the pictures are nowhere to be found or where three different parts could fit and instead of making the painful choice you think “oh, there are still some boxes to unpack, I rather go with that 
))))))”
In these rough times there is nothing like a cookie to comfort you! Usually I always make chocolate chip cookies, but I’m glad that this time I decided to try this recipe I found in a German food magazine. Oatmeal cookies might be something completely ordinary for British or American people, but over here in Europe they don’t really belong to those childhood treats you remember when growing up. In fact I actually haven’t seen them for sale (in that form) anywhere yet. Too bad, as I’ve been missing out on one of the most delicious cookies I ever tasted. Not to sweet, lightly flavoured with vanilla the cookie gets a nice texture from the oatmeal and raisins while still being soft and chewy.
These cookies keep up to two weeks and can be frozen fairly well. Try to keep them in a closed container to prevent them from drying out.
Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from “Lecker” November 2008)
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 360 g soft butter
- 400 g brown sugar
- salt
- 4 eggs
- 320 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 200 g raisins
- 400 g oatmeal (“kernig” in Germany)
- Start out by lining three baking trays with baking sheet and putting them aside.
- In a large bowl combine butter, sugar, salt and beat with an electric whisk until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract and beat in the eggs seperately.
- Mix the flour with the baking powder and soda and add to the butter-sugar-egg mixutre. Incorporate briefly.
- Now stir in the raisins and the oatmeal and incorporate them with a wooden spoon.
- Preheat the oven at 180 °C.
- Drop tablespoons of cookie dough on the sheet (about nine little piles) and flatten them with the spoon until they are flat and round.
- Put the cookies in the oven and let them bake for about 12 minutes. This is only an approximation; it is absolutely vital that you look at the cookies from outside and check them frequently. Every oven is different and my baking time differed greatly from the one described in the original recipe. Once the cookies have that soft brown color (with the edged being a little darker) you can remove them. Let them cool out completely on the baking sheet.
- Continue this way with the other trays.
Makes about 30-35 cookies. Enjoy!
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