In a small bowl, combine the room temperature eggs, plump raisins, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine, then cover the bowl and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. This soaking period allows the eggs to fully incorporate with the raisins and vanilla, creating a more cohesive wet mixture that will distribute flavor evenly throughout the dough. While this rests, you'll have time to prepare all other components.

While the egg mixture is soaking, sift together the flour, table salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a small bowl. Sifting is particularly important at high altitude because it aerates the flour and ensures even distribution of the leavening agents, which helps the cookies rise properly and maintain the right texture. Set this dry mixture aside until you're ready to combine it with the wet ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale—this should take about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer. Creaming incorporates air into the dough, which helps create the tender crumb structure these cookies need. The texture should resemble wet sand when fully creamed.

Add the dry ingredient mixture from Step 2 to the creamed butter and sugar from Step 3, mixing on low speed until just combined. The dough will be thick and slightly crumbly at this point, which is normal. Mix for only 30-45 seconds—overworking the dough develops gluten unnecessarily and can result in tough cookies. I like to finish this step by hand with a wooden spoon to ensure I don't overdo it.

Slowly add the egg and raisin mixture from Step 1 to the dough from Step 4, stirring gently until the wet ingredients are fully incorporated and no streaks of dry dough remain. The mixture will now have a wet, chunky consistency. Fold in the old-fashioned rolled oats and toasted pecans (if using) until evenly distributed throughout the dough. These additions add texture and flavor, and I find folding them in by hand at the end keeps the cookies from getting too dense.

Drop rounded tablespoon-sized portions of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart since these cookies spread moderately during baking. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked—they should have a light golden-brown color. The cookies will continue to cook slightly after removal from the oven due to carryover heat.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. This brief rest on the pan allows them to firm up enough to move without breaking, while cooling on the rack prevents them from becoming overly soft and steamy. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.