So Yummy! So Yummy!!

I would be a horrible excuse for a blogger if I didn't share this lovely little gem I discovered tonight with all of you. First of all, you have to be a lover of oatmeal raisin cookies--or at least oatmeal cookies--to truly appreciate this post. If you're not a fan of said cookies, you can move on to your other blogs now. :)

I love oatmeal raisin cookies. I'm always searching for the best (read: soft, thick, chewy) oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. I think my search is over.

Aren't they beautiful? They taste even better than they look! So I started with this cookie recipe from allspice.com. I didn't do anything different except omitting the ground cloves (since I didn't have any) and chilling the dough for about 10 minutes before baking each sheet of cookies. I think chilling the dough really helped keep these bad boys thick and chewy! So here's the cookie recipe:

Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Make sure you get some, because they don't last long!

As if they aren't already delicious enough, I knew there was ONE way to make them even better: Paula Deen's Brown Butter Icing. I tried her cookie recipe once before and it didn't really do it for me. But the icing? DI-VINE!!!

Brown Butter Icing

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies

Do yourself (and loved ones) a favor and mix up these sweet pieces of heaven right away! Words can't express the yumminess!