Dark Rum Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Sometimes you want a cookie…

…And sometimes you want a shot.

These cookies provide you with the best of both worlds.

Cookie, meet Dark Rum.

I used to be be able to drink with the best of them, but since becoming a mom my coffee-chugging abilities are about all the power drinking I do anymore.

Yes, I’ve turned into a total lightweight and I actually felt a happy, mellow calmness come over me after eating a couple of these cookies.

Not sure if it was the sugar putting me in a trance.  Or the rum.

Either way, I wasn’t complaining.

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Dark Rum Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 tbsp dark rum

1/2 c raisins (I used TJ’s Raisin Medley)

1/4 c butter, melted (1/2 stick)

1/2 c brown sugar

1/3 c white sugar

1 egg

1 c flour (plus more as needed, see directions)

1 c whole rolled oats (plus more as needed, see directions)

1/4 tsp (heaping) baking soda

1/4 tsp (heaping) baking powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine rum and raisins in a small bowl and set aside.  In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.  Add the sugars to the melted butter and whip by hand with a spoon until mixed.  Allow mixture to cool a bit before adding the egg (just cool enough so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs) and stir.  Then add all remaining ingredients & stir.  Finally, fold in the soaking raisins and rum, including any rum that did not absorb into the raisins and was at the bottom of the bowl.

Examine your batter and based on how well your raisins did or did not soak up the rum, you may need to add more flour/more oats if the batter is looking too wet.  My raisins did a poor job of soaking up the rum so I added another 1/4 c flour and another 1/4 c oats to get the batter into cookie dough consistency.  Use common sense and judgment. 

Also, chilling the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking will help with wet dough and chilled dough will result in cookies that spread less while baking.

Scoop golf ball sized balls onto a cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.  They do spread. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven even if they don’t look quite done; they will solidify more as they cool.  Allow to cool well before removing the cookies from the cookie sheets.

Yields approximately 15-16 cookies

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The cookies are soft, very chewy, and the rum adds a rich flavor to the overall dough.

Adding the alcohol seemed to make them lighter and airier than normal cookies, and also a little browner.  Guess dark rum would have that effect, eh?

If you’re concerned about adding rum to these cookies, you could omit it, of course.

But we’re talking a mere two tablespoons of rum in an entire batch of cookies.  Not very much alcohol per cookie when you break it down.

Two tablespoons used to be my chaser.  After my shots.   Life has changed just a wee bit over the years.

Plus baking probably neutralizes some of the alcohol’s effects; the alcoholic content is baked off while the rum flavor remains.

If you try these, I’d love to know your thoughts.  Or if you catch a buzz.

You could try serving them at holiday parties or family gatherings and perhaps they’ll help folks chill and mellow out a bit.  ‘Tis the season for all that family-togetherness, after all.

And if you’d prefer virgin cookies, may I suggest these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Questions:

1. Do you like rum?

I do, but if you don’t like rum…

Or don’t like raisins (I know some people don’t)…

…You could try vodka and dates.

Grand Marnier and dried mango.

Triple Sec and dried blueberries.

Really you could go in so many directions.  I may just try that.  Sounds like fun taste-testing!

2. Do you like alcohol in desserts or in recipes?

Oh I do and here are a few drunky dessert recipes alcohol-containing recipes

Dark Rum Caramel Sauce

Bananas Foster (Vegan, GF)

Spike the agave mixture in Raw Vegan Apple Crumble with rum

Vanilla Baileys Slushie

It’s almost the weekend, right?  A good excuse to start spiking the dough.