Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

I've been making oatmeal cookies for years, but recently I realized that I had never really played around with my recipe. They were just okay cookies. I knew they could be better! When I came across Mom's Soft Raisin Cookies, I knew that between that recipe and Alton Brown's I'd have a winner. The recipe I'm sharing today is a little bit of a hybrid of those two. The cookies have that hearty texture of a standard oatmeal cookie, but they're soft and chewy - the way cookies should be, of course.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

1 cup apple juice
2 cups raisins
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
2 cups oat flour*
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine the apple juice and raisins. Bring to a boil; cook for 3 minutes and remove from heat to let cool. Do not drain.

In a mixing bowl, cream together shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Mix in the raisins/juice.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

*Oat flour is easily made by processing old-fashioned oats in a food processor or blender until it's the texture of whole-wheat flour.