Our  Neighborhood Party Chair of MN HD 66B Republicans, Tom Polachek, is a US Army Veteran. Last year he did a temporary job at the VA Hospital in Bloomington, Minnesota. He tells the joy of working alongside fellow Veterans.

When he first started working there he didn’t know it at the time he would eventually fall into the habit of making homemade-from-scratch Cookies nearly every week. The ones posted here with the exception of the “Energy Bites,” he would make.

It was a morale booster and I was planting in the minds of my fellow workers to recommend me for permanent employment there.—Tom Polachek

His boss, Brett, had a favorite cookie usually supplied by one of the salesmen,  Best Maid Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. At first break Brett would share a cookie with Tom, and his workmate Pat K (see Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies–Pat’s Favorite).

So on one of Brett’s weekly days off–Fridays, Tom took a look at the ingredients on the Best Maid bag. It had a bunch of ingredients one couldn’t buy at the store like Barley Flour (in some stores you might find it, not his) and one he could: Molasses. He had never used Molasses in a recipe before.

So he looked up Oatmeal Raisin Cookies on his Better Crocker App and I found a recipe that had molasses in it, and he made it.

At the store he noticed one thing: there are two choices in Molasses either strong or mild. He took the mild. Later when he was making the cookies the aroma of the mild molasses took his breath away. “I can’t imagine what the Strong smells like,” he said.

The batter with the molasses in is not something to sample a lot of, as it has a pungent flavor. Below is the recipe for Brett’s favorite Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

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Ingredients

A. 1 1/4 cups sugar

B. 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

C. 1/3 cup molasses*

D. 2 eggs

E. 1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine)

F. 1 teaspoon baking soda

G. 1/4 teaspoon salt

H. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

J. 2 cups quick-cooking oats

K. 1 cup raisins

* I suggest mild flavor molasses. Your store might only have one type, so you don’t have a choice, but if there is a Mild then I suggest to go with it.

 

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Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

2. Stir in E through H. (blending the flour in first and oats last after the other ingredients is wise. I like to put these F-H ingredients in with the flour so it’s not isolated in one spot as the oatmeal will make the batter thick)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use SILPAT Baking Mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

 

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Directions with Photos

1. In a large bowl, stir together A-D.

Start with the Sugar (A) and add the softened Butter (B)

Cream the A & B together

Add the molasses (C)

Add 2 eggs (D) and blend it

(I realize I’m not taking my own advice about adding the oatmeal last as the photos show…oh well take my advice)

2. Add E thru H

1 2/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour (regular brand is fine) (E)

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda (F)

Add salt (G)

Add Cinnamon (H)

3. Stir in J with mixing spoon. (The blender will have problems with the batter)

4. Stir in K (raisins).

5. Preheat Oven to 375 F.

6. Prepare your ungreased cookie sheets (I like to use Silpat baking mats on my Airbake cookie sheets). Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches apart.

The SILPAT Baking Mat is excellent. It allows for even baking, cooling, and a non-stick surface.

7. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

ENJOY!