Fantabulous Food! Raisinets Oatmeal Cookies

I was in Target a few days ago and found their large bags of Raisinets on sale for only $6.49 (down from $9.99). I figured this was a great excuse to get one of my favorite candies, but immediately felt guilty when I got home. I didn't want to end up eating the entire enormous bag, so I thought, "I bet these would make awesome oatmeal cookies!" I consulted Pinterest to see what recipes were well liked and I found this one which looked promising, especially considering the recipe if from Raisinets the company.

Raisinets Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups quick or old fashioned oats
• 2 1/4 cups (14 oz) Raisinets
• 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugars together in a mixer until light and fluffy.

I used the trick from the NYTimes Chocolate Chip Cookies and beat the butter mixture for 5 minutes so the dough would be nice and fluffy. I recommend this as it really makes a difference in the cookies.  It should look like this when it's ready.

3. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well to combine.

4. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until well combined.

Look at how light and fluffy the dough looks! It will still be kind of sticky, but don't worry the next part will fix that.

5. Add oats and stir in by hand making sure they are evenly incorporated into the dough.

6. Add Raisinets and makes sure they are evenly distributed.

7. Scoop spoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet and bake at 375º F. If you make regular teaspoon-sized cookies, bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. If you like big cookies like me (I think they are 4 tbsp size), bake for about 16 minutes until golden brown.

8. Allow to cook for 2 minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Believe me when I tell you - they are just as tasty as they look! These things are addictive, so I froze all of my dough in pre-formed balls so I wouldn't feel compelled to eat the whole batch in a few days. Now we can have just one whenever we want!

Definitely try these out - and check your local Target this week to see if the Raisinets big bags are on sale for you too :)