Oatmeal Cookie Nirvana

I love a good oatmeal cookie. Yes, they're ugly, and not nearly as sexy as a chocolate chip cookie, but oh so satisfying when you get one that's just the perfect softness. I grabbed Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook at the library recently, and have been pleasantly surprised at the recipes in there. I have a few other Martha publications and have come to the conclusion that she often makes recipes fussy just for the sake of fussiness with very little improvement in texture or flavor. In this baking handbook, though, there are quite a few solid, ordinary, well thought out recipes that are easy to duplicate in a home kitchen. This one is truly a winner. The cookies are chewy on the outside and soft in the middle right out of the oven, and after being in a tightly closed container overnight they're soft all the way through. I attribute this to the maple syrup/brown sugar combination. They really are wonderful! I will definitely be making these again, and soon.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

2 sticks butter, room temperature (she always specifies unsalted; I used salted and cut the added salt back a bit)

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (absolutely no substitutions for fake syrup - only the real stuff!)

1 large egg

2 t. pure vanilla extract

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins (I used 2/3 cup craisins and the same amount of white chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt, stir in the coconut and set aside.

Beat the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mix to combine. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two batches and mix until just combined. Add the oats and rasins, mix until combined.

Drop 3 T. size rounded spoonfuls onto a baking sheet, evenly spaced apart, and bake for 13-18 minutes or until the edges are golden and the top is just set but still moist underneath. Allow to rest on the baking pan for 2-3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly closed container.