Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Yesterday, I was flipping through some of my cookbooks and noticed a recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies! I wasn't in the mood to make something with a plethora of ingredients, and luckily I had everything needed in the cabinets. Also, I hadn't made a cookie recipe yet for A Dessert a Week, so I figured I'd test one out.

The original recipe said to use a trigger cookie scoop, but mine just broke, so I used two spoons to shape the batter.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup raisins

Directions

• Position one rack in the top third and one rack in the bottom third of the oven, and preheat to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper (or spray with nonstick spray). 
• Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl to blend. Using stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until very well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in flour mixture, then stir in oats and raisins. 
• Scoop about 2 teaspoons of dough per cookie, and arrange mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spacing two inches apart. Bake cookies until golden brown, switching baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure that they cook evenly. Bake for about 14 minutes, then transfer cookies to a rack to cool. 

Bread Pudding

I've been babysitting this week, and I've been super busy, so I haven't had a lot of time to think of new dessert ideas, so I decided to go with a recipe I've been making a lot this past year. Bread pudding is a southern comfort food staple, and it also tastes AWESOME! I usually double this recipe and make two because they get eaten fast! This recipe is also really easy to alter- replace the raisins with chocolate chips and throw in some cocoa powder, and you've got chocolate chip bread pudding!

I broke the bread into manageable pieces, drizzled with melted butter, and sprinkled the raisins liberally. If you aren't a fan of raisins, just take them out or add something else in their place :) 

 I mixed the sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together! Beat with a fork right before pouring over the bread to keep everything from separating

I poured the above mixture over the bread and pressed the bread down with a fork to make sure all of the bread got covered. If all of the bread doesn't get covered, it'll brown in the oven and be crunchy.

Sophia, one of my two adorable Boston Terriers, kept barking at me and looking at the oven; I guess she was hungry too :)

The finished product!

Plated :)

Ingredients

• 6 slices French bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk or 1 cup milk & 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 
  
• Directions
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Tear bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan (or really anything you've got; I use a pie dish). Drizzle melted butter over bread, and sprinkle with raisins.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.