Trees and Cookies

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, I went for a walk outside and took a few pictures of the beauty that is my backyard.

My apartment overlooks this ravine that is full of trees and plants. We get all sorts of wild animals in the back yard and on my porch.  This week alone I have seen 4 or 5 deer, opossums, birds, and raccoons.

I also had dinner last night with my friends Bethany, Joe and their almost 1 year-old baby, Aurora.  I made my favorite oatmeal raisin cookies with pecans.

This recipe is so so good, it is my favorite oatmeal cookie. The cookbook I adapted the recipe from was a surprise gift, I don't know who sent it to me, but one day it appeared by my door. This has actually become on of my favorite cookbooks. Cooking with Friends, from the Friend's TV show.  This recipe is Phoebe's Fabulous Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies.  Every time I bring out the cookbook, I start a Friend's marathon

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups raisins, soak the raisins in hot water with a splash of vanilla.

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup pecan pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 375

Cream the butter for 1 minute with an electric mixer. Cream the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.

Stir together oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir the dry ingredients together into the batter until just combined. Stir in the raisins and optional nuts.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto 2 large baking sheets (no need to grease them), I use parchment paper, leaving 2 inches between each ball of dough. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, I only baked them 8 1/2 minutes.  Cool cookies on sheets for several minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool.  Makes about 24 large cookies. Yum!