Paula Dean's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Icing

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Cookies: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 1 or more cookie sheets.
2. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy.
3. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color.
4. Add buttermilk.
5. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture.
6. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla extract, blending well.
7. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
8. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
9. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.
10. Brown Butter Icing: In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
11. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
12. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency.
13. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Yield: enough to ice 5 dozen cookies