Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two baking trays with parchment paper. The paper should feel taut against the tray, not crinkled. This prevents the bottoms from browning too quickly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and smell deeply of caramelised sugar. There should be no gritty feeling when you rub a little between your fingers.

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined. The batter will turn a pale golden colour and become slightly thicker. You should see ribbons forming when you lift the whisk.

In a separate small bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. The spices should release a warm, fragrant aroma that fills your kitchen. This ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour. The dough will look shaggy and somewhat stiff. Overmixing at this stage will make the cookies tough.

Fold in the grated carrot and raisins until evenly dispersed. The dough will suddenly look vibrant with flecks of orange and dark purple. It should hold together when pressed, but still feel slightly sticky to the touch.

Scoop heaped tablespoons of dough onto the prepared trays, leaving about 5cm space between each. Roll each portion into a rough ball between your palms. The balls should feel moist but not wet. Flatten them slightly with your fingers to about 1cm thickness.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. The edges should be set and golden brown, while the centres still look slightly puffed and soft. The kitchen will smell like a bakery filled with cinnamon and toasted oats. A gentle press on the edge should feel firm, but the centre will give slightly.

Let the cookies rest on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will continue to set as they cool. The bottoms should be a uniform light amber colour. If they crumble when moved, they need another minute of resting time.