President Clinton's Oatmeal Cookies

I love oat..that's the matter of fact..but it's not the reason why I decided to give these oatmeal cookies a try. What actually caught my attention is certainly a name of the cookie which I'm sure many of you would be the same!

At the first sight, I seriously thought it's really the recipe created by the President but then second thoughts came through my mind..how could a busy and big man like him find a spare time for such a little thing ? From there, it took less than a minute to find out that I was so right about my guess.. and here is a story behind the scene I'd like to share !   

To be honest, I was not so keen about the cookie after I knew that it's not actually his own recipe..but again, I changed my mind once I looked through the recipe! And you know what ?? ( this is a sentence that my little girl always says to me when she wants to tell me something!..I think she wouldn't mind to let me borrow her typical words :) )  the real reason why I decided to make it at the end is because of the fat raisin called for in the recipe !! ...Have a look at its recipe and you could easily guess why it's so attractive to me ( only if you know me so well thou! lol)

President Clinton’s oatmeal cookies ( slightly adapted from Desserts by the Yard )

Cookies:

1 ½ cups (210g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ¾ sticks (198g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200g) caster sugar

1 cup (175g) light brown sugar, packed

1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups (354g) rolled oats

1 recipe (1 ½ cups) fat raisins

Fat raisins:

1 ½ cups (232g) golden raisins
¾ cup (180ml) dry white wine
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 ½ tablespoons dark rum
3 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

Method:

Start by preparing the fat raisins: combine the raisins, wine, orange juice, rum and sugar in a small heavy saucepan; bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring all the while. Lower the heat so that the liquid is at a bare simmer and poach for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat, cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow to cool completely. If not using right away, transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Now, the cookies: preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.Sift together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and baking soda and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on high speed until lemony yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle/beaters. Add the sugars. Beat until creamy and scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Beat on low speed for 15-30 seconds or until the eggs are incorporated. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients, beating until they’re absorbed. Mix in the oats and raisins.

Place 1 leveled tablespoon of dough per cookie onto prepared sheets, 5cm (2in) apart. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the baking sheet, then bake for another 5-8 minutes or until nicely browned. Carefully slice the baking paper off the sheet and directly onto your work surface. Cool completely.

Cookies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Note : I made half recipe for cookies and added a tsp of vanilla extract to the dough but used 2/3 recipe for fat raisins .