Recipe below! Start the year with some comfort baking along with Anna! These easy-to-make cookies smell divine when they’re in the oven, and it’s up to you if you’d rather use chocolate chips or raisins.

--------

Makes about 2 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 to 10 minutes

--------

• Ingredients •

10 Tbsp (150 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp (18 g) honey or 1 Tbsp (16 g) fancy molasses
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (150 g) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp (8 g) cornstarch
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon or pumpkin spice blend
½ tsp fine salt
1 ½ cups (150 g) regular rolled oats
1 cup (175 g) chocolate chips or 1 cup (150 g) raisins or dried cranberries

--------

• Directions •
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.

2. Cream the butter, brown sugar and honey (or molasses) by hand in a large bowl until smooth. Add the egg and beat well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together with a fork and add these dry ingredients all at once to the dough, stirring until blended. Add the oats and chocolate chips or raisins and stir until evenly combined.

3. Using a small scoop or two teaspoons, scoop spoonfuls of dough and drop them onto the trays, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) between them. Gently press the cookies down with your palm. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, only until you start to see browning at the edge of the cookies. As you pull the trays from the oven, give the pan a little smack on the oven door to deflate the cookies.

4. Cool the cookies on the trays on a cooling rack. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Note: The secrets to keeping oatmeal cookies soft in the centre are using cornstarch in the dough and not overbaking them. They may seem exceptionally soft after 8 minutes of baking, but as long as the edges are browned, they will set up once cooled.