These are my second-favorite cookies. Chocolate chip cookies win out overall, but I really, really like oatmeal-raisin cookies, too. This recipe always produces perfectly chewy cookies with crispy edges. The recipe made about 3 dozen, so I wrapped up half of them and stored them in the freezer, thinking "this is way too many cookies for us to eat all at once!" Now, the next day, the cookies are almost all gone, so I'll be raiding my freezer stash sooner than I thought. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1-1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1 dash nutmeg 3 cups Quaker oats 1 cup raisins Heat the oven to 350 f. Beat together the butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, mix well. Add oats and raisins, mix. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (leave space between them so they don't run together when they spread). Bake ~12 minutes, or until just golden. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Tip: The cookies firm up a lot as they cool, so don't be afraid to take them out of the oven when they're just golden but still quite soft and squishy looking. Overbaked cookies will be very hard when they cool.

I had three ripe bananas going to waste on my counter so i thought i'd look up a recipe to use them up. Well, i didn't want to make Banana Bread so I came across this interesting recipe for a Banana Cookie. It turned out like a chewy granola bar, so it was soft and not very "cookie" like but still a good healthy snack. You can throw in whatever you want! I didn't have any walnuts but I highly recommend throwing some kind of nut in there for a crunch and texture, otherwise its all soft. Here is more or less what i made it with... BANANA COOKIES * 3 ripe bananas, mashed * 2 1/2 cups rolled oats * 1 cup mixture of raisins, craisins (or other dried fruit) * 1/4 cup chocolate chips * 1 apple, diced * 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or other nut) * 1/4 cup of peanut butter * 1/4 cup of sugar (or honey) * 1 T wheat germ * 1/4 c apple sauce * 1 T vegetable oil * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract * Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves - to taste 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Stir in rest of ingredients. Mix well, and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown.