Recipe: The Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

This is an old recipe (no, David Cheng was not the first person to throw unusual ingredients into baked goods) adapted from James Beard Award winning baker Maida Heatter. Very few people can resist these cookies (and those that do likely lead joyless lives).

The Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookie:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (get an oven thermometer).
Line Cookie sheets with parchment paper.

4 ounces potato chips (I like Wise or Lays Original)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs sized "large"
2 cups Old fashioned (not instant or quick-cooking) rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup raisins

Crush potato chips with your hands. Put in small bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl combine flour and baking soda, whisk, set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add vanilla.
Slowly add the flour mixture.
Add the oats, cherries, walnuts and raisins. Mix until just combined.
Remove from mixer and add in the crushed potato chips using a wooden spoon (this will be a little tough because the batter will be very thick at this point).

Using an ice-cream scoop (about an inch and a half diameter), scoop dough and set them on a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Wet your hands and lightly/gently form round balls (don't pack tightly) and place them on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart from each other (these cookies need room to spread).

Bake for 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Enjoy!