Any excuse to make sweets: Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies

There's a new baby around the nest and with that comes the joys and pains of nursing. (At this very moment, emphasis on the pains...but I digress.)

During the downtime this sleeping newborn affords me, I did a mad-dash web search for foods that help with nursing and supply and all that happy stuff. It ranged from dill to asparagus to mussels (no thanks!) but the one item that made it on to almost every list was OATS! The science even suggested that oats in most forms did benefit nursing mamas...be it oatmeal or oatmeal cookies. Huzzah! An excuse to escape to my kitchen and bake COOKIES with my Boo!

I get excited about cookies. What can I say?

So without further delay, the fruit of our afternoon labor in the small, overheated kitchen we call home. The dough was Boo-approved as the picture clearly illustrates. So, too, were the final products. Little man thought he could make a mighty fine dinner of oatmeal cookies and more oatmeal cookies. Cutie pie.
 

Recipe modified from Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Cookies

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup walnuts (pecans would be delicious, too!)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients minus the oats, flour, raisins, and walnuts. Mix well with spoon or mixer. (I'm lazy and just use a spoon. And a toddler.)
3. Stir in oats. flour, raisins, and nuts.
4. Drop by rounded spoonful about two inches apart on ungreased baking sheet
5. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until light brown. Immediately remove from sheet and cool.

Yummo!