1 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp, cardamom (optional)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour
2 cups raisins (or other dried fruit and increase if you like lots of fruit)
2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the sugars and butter together until smooth and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well blended and the dough sticks together well. Form the dough into balls with about 1 1/2 tbsp of dough, then place on an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake 12-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling. Makes about 5-6 dozen, depending on the size of the cookies.
Dried cherries and almonds in place of the raisins and pecans is very good. If you like, you can also just leave out the nuts and fruits. If doing that, I would add another 1/2 cup of rolled oats.
