As the years progress, I have somehow inherited the role of hosting most of the holidays at my home. Don’t misunderstand me; that is NOT a complaint. In fact, I enjoy hosting the holidays at my home despite the work. My own family is growing so quickly. Nieces and nephews are getting married and having children. Ten guests have easily grown into 20 over the past ten years. I love having every one of them.

There are some ways that you can make hosting the holidays at your home easier. The most important thing is to be very organized. Plan your meal ahead. Find your recipes and make copies of them. This will keep your cookbook pages nice and clean! Organize your shopping list (read and reread so you do not omit anything) by the location of items in your grocery store (i.e., produce, baking goods). Bring the copies of the recipes with you just in case you need to refer to it while you are in the store.

You can easily shop for your non-perishables a week ahead and your produce 2-3 days ahead. This gives you ample time to run back to the store as needed. (Don’t we always forget something?).

Make what you can in advance. For example, soups, many appetizers and baked goods freeze really well, as does brisket. If you work, you might want to plan your menu around recipes that you can freeze. There are also those recipes that can be prepared the night before, so all you have to do is place them in the oven the next day. Any free time for you is the chance to spend more time with your guests. 

Throwing any holiday or family get-together does not have to be stressful. Create place cards for your guests. Turn off the bright lights and light candles, which will give your room a warm glow. Use cloth napkins and fold them in a special way. Don’t forget to plan the music. This will really help set the mood for your holiday. Do as much as you can in advance (i.e., set the table) and you will find yourself stress-free and enjoying every minute.

Onto the recipe for today. I wasn’t sure about the pecans. Then I thought why not?  I love almost any kind of oatmeal cookie. I love the texture and the chewy inside. It was worth a try.

To my surprise, I loved these cookies. They were crunchy on the outside and chewy and soft in the middle. They are like eating soft, flavorful mounds bursting with all that crumbly goodness.

Again, Ina Garten’s recipe is spot on. This recipe made about 25-30 cookies. I would make the mounds a little larger than 2-inches, as the recipe calls for. But maybe that’s just me. I like my cookies big. However you make them I know you will love them. It made a pecan-raisin walnut cookie lover out of me!

Ingredients for Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups pecans
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature 
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool.  Chop coarsely.

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour . baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer n low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.

Add the oats, raisins, and the pecans and mix until just combined.

 

Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper.

Flatten slightly with a damp hand.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned.

Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

It’s that simple!