Looking for a new twist on an old favorite? Traditional oatmeal cookies are transformed into delicious treats loaded with chocolate-covered raisins and chopped pecans. This easy recipe makes about 4½ dozen cookies that will last for a week or more when stored in an air-tight container.

 

Chocolate-Covered Raisin & Pecan Oatmeal Cookies
2½ sticks butter, at room temperature
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups oats (old fashioned or quick-cooking)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate-covered raisins (dark or milk chocolate)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add oats; mix well. Stir in pecans and chocolate-covered raisins; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for soft cookies or 10 to 12 minutes for crispy cookies. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes 4-4 ½ dozen.
www.cateringbydebbicovington.com

Debbi Covington is a chef, caterer, cookbook author and food columnist from Beaufort, SC. She has written two cookbooks, the 2013 gold medal winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award Celebrate Everything! and Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi writes the food column “Everyday Gourmet” in Beaufort’s Lowcountry Weekly newspaper and is a partner/food columnist with DIY Weddings Magazine. Debbi has been featured as a “Master of Entertaining” in Southern Living magazine and her recipes have been published in multiple cookbooks including Southern Living’s Best Kept Secrets of the South’s Best Cooks and The Best of The Best of South Carolina. Her food has been photographed for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. She has been voted “Favorite Caterer” in Beaufort, SC since 2010. Debbi has a passion for sophisticated southern cuisine and delights in creating seasonal and locally inspired menus.