Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 30 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

Makes 24

• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, raisins, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Gradually add oat mixture; beat just until combined.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto two baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown but still soft, 12 to 16 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on sheets; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate-Espresso Snowcaps

taken from Martha Stewart

http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/everyday_food/2007Q1/a100453_espressosnowcaps_l.jpg

These cookies look like little snow-covered mountains. They will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Roll each ball in confectioners’ sugar twice to make sure it’s thoroughly coated and no dark dough is visible.

Prep: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Makes 18
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 teaspoons instant espresso
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon milk
Confectioners’ sugar, for coating
Directions

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg until well combined; mix in cooled chocolate.
With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat in milk until just combined.
Flatten dough into a disk; wrap in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Pour confectioners’ sugar (about 1/2 cup) into a medium bowl; working in batches, roll balls in sugar two times, letting them sit in sugar between coatings.

Place on prepared baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies have spread and coating is cracked, 12 to 14 minutes; cookies will still be soft to the touch. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

From Everyday Food, December 2003