Here we go again with another gluten free copycat baking recipe. I just can’t get enough. Yummy, soft, chewy and did I mention BIG oatmeal raisin cookies. You’ll be fighting the kids over these. Hide them well. The gluten free cookie snatchers are very cunning. They can sniff out a gluten free cookie 5 miles away (or at least the ones you try to hide).

Store them in the freezer with some socks wrapped around them. Maybe that will fool them. I’ld try it if I had any gluten free cookie snatchers living in my house anymore. Wait a minute…I do…they’re just older. Hmmmm… will have to come up with another plan. They already know about the socks.

Gluten free Grandma’s® Big Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A gluten free and dairy free cookie recipe

1/2 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Spectrum Naturals is good)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. gluten free vanilla extract
2 cups gluten free flour blend
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (don not use if your flour blend has it already)
1 1/4 cups gluten free rolled oats
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dark raisins

I know, I have raisins in two different spots. You’ll see why here in just a minute.

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees ( yes it seems low but trust me..)

Place the first 1/2 cup of raisins and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth. This will be added into the batter and give you a nice taste of raisins all the way through the cookies. This is the BIG SECRET. Making a raisin paste just makes this cookie sing.

With an electric mixer, cream together the shortening, egg, brown sugar, vanilla and the raisin paste until smooth.
In another bowl ( large please), whisk together the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), gluten free oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

Why do we whisk you ask? The better to blend our dry ingredients together I say. You don’t want lumps of baking soda or xanthan gum ending up in one of your gluten free cookies. Yuck!  All that money and time for naught. On with the gluten free cookie recipe, shall we?

Slowly add the flour mix to the raisin mix and combine well.

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls ( or use a large cookie scoop for BIG cookies) onto a parchment lined baking sheets. Did I mention that parchment is a girls best baking friend. Gotta love it.

Bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until just barely brown. I mean just a whisper, just a hint, almost not really there. You want these cookies to be soft and stay soft so don’t over bake.

Let cool on the baking sheet for 4 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 18 large ( did we say BIG) cookies.

These are one of my faves. I can sit and eat these with no control, so please don’t send me any. I’ll eat the whole box.

Kathy