A cookie paradox: Anzacesque oatmeal raisin cookies

Such welcome and unwelcome things at once
'Tis hard to reconcile
~ Macbeth, Act IV, Scene 3, William Shakespeare.

Riddle me this: how is it that a cookie can be so average but so damn addictive????

I am hesitant to even blog about this less-than-ideal recipe but it is a complete cookie paradox that I feel compelled to share.

They came out of the oven and one bite told me:
a) the texture was blah: chewy-tough rather than chewy-good; and
b) the taste was blah: somehow both too sweet and too bland.

A pretty darn average cookie.

But I found myself going back for another and then another and another.  I could not stop eating these things.

I tried them on C.  Same effect.  He ate one and diplomatically said well they aren't your best batch of cookies darling.  But then, sure enough, he came back for seconds, thirds... fifths.

Which brings me to ask once again, how is it that a cookie so av could be so good?

I completely axe-murdered the classic Edmonds Anzac cookie recipe to create this Anzacesque oatmeal raisin cookie just because I had a mid-cram hankering for cookies and there were only raisins, oatmeal, flour and butter in the pantry. 

Why I didn't just look up a recipe on the internet, I do not know.

I blame my study-addled brain.

{study notes meet cookie}

Nevertheless, while stellar they were not, they were gobbled up in no time. 

I can't say I think I'll use this recipe again as is but hopefully with some tweaking the next batch might turn out less food-for-thought and more food-for-belly.

{Wanted: a good oatmeal raisin cookie recipe}

Anzac-esque Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Caution: Recipe Under Construction.

makes around 2-3 dozen

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2/3 cups brown sugar tightly packed
100g butter
3 Tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbsp boiling water
1 cup raisins
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180oC and line 2 baking trays with baking paper. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter, golden syrup, and brown sugar in 30 second bursts in the microwave on high.

2. In a separate bowl place oatmeal and flour and stir raisins through.

3.  Dissolve baking soda in the boiling water and add to butter/sugar/golden syrup mixture (will bubble up).

4. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and stir in liquid.  (If the mixture looks a little dry, i.e. not sticking together, then add a little bit of extra melted butter or water).

5. Place tablespoon sized blobs on to the prepared baking trays and flatten with a fork (or your fingers)

6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden.  Cool on the tray for around 2 minutes before cooling completely on a wire rack.