For some it's the go-to, standby, easy cookie that seems to please the crowd. But oatmeal raisin, for me, is the last possible resort. If I somehow get stuck with a bunch of raisins, I might make these cookies. There is something about them that strikes me as too dull, and the raisins, which I find wholly disgusting, push the entire affair into the realm of untenable.

Yet there was something in the air that forced me to buy raisins, purposely. I saw a chewy oatmeal-raisin cookie recipe somewhere online and thought about how some people in my office love chewy cookies. Why not? I cannot deprive the world (or my tiny corner of it) of cookies with raisins simply because raisins horrify me, can I? (Of course, I once knew a bizarre man who tried to attribute my dislike for raisins to my Zodiac sign.)

The other thing about these cookies is that they can seem almost too healthy and wholesome. Even though they aren't. It contributes to the aforementioned dullness quotient, turns some people off (who would otherwise indulge, if they really got the feeling they were indulging in something) and just isn't exciting. On the other hand, some people might indulge would not otherwise (justifying it as a semi-healthy option). The cookies make me think of my grandma; maybe they will evoke similar thoughts for others.

Finally, the recipe said these were chewy. As far as I understand, they really weren't.

OATMEAL-RAISIN COOKIES
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of oats
3/4 cups of raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.

Beat butter and sugar, egg, vanilla until creamy. Mix dry ingredients (except oats) together in a separate bowl. Add the dry mixture to the wet. Blend until combined — add oats and raisins.

Drop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto cookie sheets (parchment lined). Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

You can soak the raisins in a small bowl. Cover with warm water for five minutes. This will make the raisins softer and plumper.