Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Easter! I'm keepin it brief today! Just a good old fashioned recipe for chewy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. The recipe has gotten over 2000 favorable reviews on allrecipes.com, it's a definite winner! Have a great week!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Don't over mix! Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, with Grape Nuts!

Oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite type of cookie. Yup, that's right! I like them even better than chocolate chip! This recipe is great as it includes Grape-Nuts which gives them crunch! The raisins can be switched out for chocolate chips, m&ms, or other dried fruit. Try to let the cookies cool for at least five minutes before indulging, as the cookies cool they acquire the perfect chewy, moist oatmeal raisiny flavor that will send you straight back to your childhood! Enjoy!

Grape Nut Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From allrecipies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal

A few handfuls raisins

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Combine flour, oats, cereal, raisins, baking soda and baking powder.

Gradually add to creamed mixture. Roll into 3/4-in. balls.

Place 2 in. apart o ungreased baking sheets; flatten with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Hope your day is filled with happiness!

I am linking up to Full Plate Thursdays, Funky Junk Saturday Night Special and It's A Keeper Thursday.

Magazine/Cookbook Monday: The BEST Oatmeal Cookies I EVER ate!

This morning I got to go to a holiday baking class offered by Williams-Sonoma. I went over to my parents house and convinced them to come along with me, so off we trooped to stand in line in eager anticipation of yummy recipes and great tips. We were not disappointed!

The women who were demonstrating the techniques were wonderful and knew their stuff. They eloquently explained to me the difference between three different types of whisks and they also were experts on which type of cooking sprays to use with which type of pans. Turns out you shouldn't use PAM or nonstick sprays on nonstick pans. Good thing I always use parchment. My pans, in case you haven't noticed in my posts, are all second hand and have definitely seen better days. My dad, being the amazingly generous person he is, bought me a BRAND NEW set of bakewear. And not just any bakeware, Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch Bakeware Essentials Set.

These pans are AWESOME! I absolutely love them and am so happy to be able to retire my old, overworked pans. Needless to say, this class put me in the baking mood, and on a rainy day like today, oatmeal cookies sounded scrumptious, AND I was VERY eager to try out my new cookie sheets! The oatmeal cookies I made are officially the most amazing oatmeal cookies I have ever eaten! Plumping the raisins in hot water before adding them into the dough makes them succulently juicy. The plump raisins then meld perfectly with the cinnamon and brown sugar and give the cookies a perfect ULTRA chewy texture that is further accented by the hearty oats and crisp coconut. These extra thick cookies are moist and fruity and GIANT! They remind me of those huge oatmeal cookies they sell at Starbucks, but these are way better because they are homemade. I am now cuddled up on my couch with Lola (my adorable dog), perfectly content, blogging with my big cup of tea and humongous cookie. Can you think of any better way to spend a rainy Sunday? I can't!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Adapted from No Nonsense Cooking Guide: Cookies For Holidays and Every Day by Irena Chalmers

Ingredients

1 Cup Raisins

12 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup dried coconut (not shown in picture, I added it in on a whim)

Put the raisins in a bowl, cover them with hot water and set them aside to soak for about 15 minutes, until they are nice and plump. Drain the raisins and pat them dry with paper towels. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (or butter/grease if you'd rather). Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Fold 1/2 cup of the dry ingredients and half the beaten eggs into the creamed butter.

Add the remaining dry ingredients and eggs, folding only until the flour is incorporated (I realize this seems tedious but it makes the cookies light and chewy).

Fold in the raisins, oats and nuts. Drop the batter onto the baking sheets about two inches apart(I did about 2 heaping tablespoons batter per cookie).

Lightly press down on the cookies (makes for more even cooking). Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.

Cool on wire racks.

Make sure you have a cold glass of milk for dunking!

See? Gigantic!!!

Ahh..... comfort food at its finest...

Have a BEAUTIFUL Monday!

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie Oatmeal

Yay for the first day of autumn being this week! I happen to love fall. The leaves change, the squirrels gather acorns, pumpkins and squash abound... but mostly I love the warm, comforting flavors that fall brings. Waking up to the cinnamony, yeasty smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, enjoying a hearty stew with home cooked biscuits, succulent low baked apples bursting with juicy raisins and spicy cinnamon.... but my favorite fall treats are pumpkin and pecan pies. My dad is the king of the pecan pie and last year for thanksgiving he made the ultimate pie - a combination of creamy, spicy pumpkin and crunchy, sugary pecans. The best of both worlds! When I woke up this morning, the crisp feel of fall was in the air and I was craving that pie something fierce. I figured that making a pie for breakfast wasn't the best idea so I googled pumpkin pie oatmeal and came across this scrumptious looking recipe from Good Life Eats. Perfect! It combines pumpkin puree with thick cut oatmeal and a pecan streusel topping. I bought some pecan pie glazed pecans when I was grocery shopping, and while absolutely delicious on their own (seriously, buy some now), they were the perfect way to top off this oatmeal. The oatmeal smelled like pumpkin pie while baking and was ready in about 20 minutes. The flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon along with the crunch of the pecan-brown sugar topping and the hearty warmth of the oats sent me to autumn breakfast heaven. Is it Thanksgiving yet? Cause it sure tastes like it!

Pumpkin-Pecan Pie Oatmeal

Recipe from Good Life Eats

Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook

1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional

2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp butter, softened

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup milk (I used almond milk)

1/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Topping:

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

2 tsp butter, softened

1 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 individual sized ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats.

Stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 individual sized ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar.

After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake an additional 7 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Have a wonderful Sunday!