Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies

Everyone says their mother makes the best brisket -- but mine really does!  Over three years ago, when B and I first met, we talked about my mom's brisket.  And although it took a while for him to actually get to try it, he happens to agree!

So it should come as no surprise that this year, when I asked my mom what I could bake for dessert for Rosh Hashana, she said "Just some cookies.  We don't really ever eat dessert because we always fill up on the brisket and the meal, and I don't want you to go overboard with dessert."  Well, I got half of it right....I made cookies, but not just cookies, lots of cookies.  A variety of cookies -- 4 types, to be exact!  I had set my goals a little loftier at first (I had about 8 kinds of cookies I wanted to make) but time was not on my side, and some had to fall by the wayside.  

Of the ones I actually got to make, the first up were these chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. 

Now I've made my fair share of oatmeal raisin cookies in the past, but one of my biggest complaints was that they weren't quite as soft and chewy as I'd like.  The flavor was always spot on, but sometimes they were perfect out of the oven, but once they cooled they were a little on the crispier side.  OK, not the worst thing in the world, but sometimes you could really just go for a soft chewy cookie.  This recipe was the answer!!

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:  

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (I used light because that's what I had on hand)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp molasses

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp ground cinnamon (I used a little more because I love cinnamon!)

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup raisins (soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes to plump them up, then drained and blotted to dry them)

1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts (optional.  I left these out because (a) I don't like nuts in my baked goods, and (b) we are having a nut-free holiday because my nut-allergic cousin is coming)

Directions: 

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth.

Add the eggs and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute.

Scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Add the vanilla and molasses and mix on high until combined.

Set aside.

In a separate bowl, toss the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.

Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined.

Beat in the oats, raisins, and walnuts (if using) on low speed.

The dough will be thick yet very sticky.

Chill the dough for 30-60 minutes in the fridge.  

If chilling for longer (up to 2 days), allow the dough to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F.

Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Set aside.

Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 Tbsp worth) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.  Or use a cookie scoop for uniform cookies, which I prefer to do.

Bake for 10 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides.  The centers will look very soft and undone.

Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes (the cookies will continue to "set" on the baking sheet) before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh, covered and at room temperature, for up to 1 week.  Baked cookies freeze well, up to 3 months.  Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well, up to 3 months, and do not need to be thawed but just be baked for an extra minute

Oatmeal cake

I wrote this post about a two and a half months ago, in mid-April, when I actually baked this cake (as a procrastination tool for the packing I really needed to do), and as a result, I'm very belatedly posting this (since I learned the error of my ways, and actually packed instead of typing up the recipe and posting photos)... 

I saw this recipe while scrolling through Facebook the other night, and immediately forwarded it to myself.  I kinda knew I needed to make it ASAP.  See, I love anything with cinnamon. I also thought that adding cooked oats was an intriguing change from the norm.  And...I had an unopened nearly 3-pound container of oats that needed to be used up before my move in 10 days.  Sadly, this recipe only called for a scant cup of oats, and I therefore anticipate that I'll make making some sort of oatmeal-based cookie in the next week and a half.  Or I could just make a whole huge batch of this deliciousness!!

I love that this cake can be eaten for breakfast. I also love the fact that it could be served with or without the cream cheese icing. This time I opted for cream cheese icing, however next time I may be a little crazy, folks, and add some banana or fresh blueberries...I think this cake has possibilities, people!

Here's the one thing about this cake...I thought it would be a lot lighter.  It's actually a pretty dense cake which really shouldn't surprise me considering there's oatmeal in it.  Cooked oatmeal in it.

When it came to the icing, I made a few modifications. I happen to like my cream cheese icing with a little bit of vanilla (I used between half a teaspoon and a whole teaspoon).  I also find that some cream cheese icings can be a little too sweet, so I cut down the powdered sugar by about half a cup to make sure that it was my desired sweetness.  There is no shame if you taste the icing as you go along, to make sure you get it right.  No shame at all ;-).  In the end, this icing reminded me of the icing on a cake my mom used to serve decades ago to her bridge friends when they came over, which I absolutely adored.  This one is a keeper all on it's own!

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake
From Cookies and Cups

Ingredients: 

For the Cake

1 1/4 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp kosher salt 
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (I may have been a little heavy handed on that....)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

For the Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk or cream
1/2 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Spray a 9x9 inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a small pot, bring the water to a boil.
Add in the oats.
Stir and then remove the pot from the heat.
Allow the oats to soak for 20 minutes.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla and the eggs and mix until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
With the mixer still on medium, add in the salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Mix until incorporated.

Turn the mixer to low and add in the oats and flour.
Mix until just combined.

Spread the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan.

Make the frosting.

In the bowl of the mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese together on medium until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low and add in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Mix for another minute until the frosting is creamy.

Spread the frosting on the cooled cake.

Serve immediately or keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days (if it even lasts that long....).

Chocolate oatmeal coconut cookies

So by now those of you who know me (either personally or through the blog) know that when it comes to baking, I tend to do things in excess.  My friends 30th birthday a few years ago?  Yeah, I made two cakes.  My birthday this year?  A week of treats (ok, ok, it was only 4 days...).  A 30th birthday party last year resulted in 36 cupcakes for about 15 people (red velvet and Samoa).  And when we went wine tasting this past fall, I brought another 36 cupcakes (this time cannoli-inspired and chocolate-peanut butter-pretzel ones).  I could go on, but I think you get the picture...

So when my friend P asked me to bake cookies for a baby shower last weekend, I couldn't stop at one, two, or three varieties.  I needed to make a fourth type.  I debated a fifth, but we can talk about that later.

This time I set out to make some chocolate oatmeal coconut cookies. For some reason, they intrigued me. I used to hate coconut, but lately it's been growing on me.  I think it started with those Samoa cupcakes, but then there were also the toasted coconut marshmallows and the coconut caramel cupcakes on New Years.

These cookies were really good, but I think you lose out on a little by making them so big.  Therefore, my bottom line with these cookies is make them, just don't make them huge!

Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
from Taste and Tell

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar, packed

6 tablespoons sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 cups oats

1 1/2 cups coconut

12 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chips (2 cups)

 

Directions: 

 

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla, salt, and baking soda.
Add in the flour and beat just until combined.
Add in the oats, coconut and chocolate chips.
Beat until combined.

 

Place 1/4-cup scoops of the dough on a greased cookie sheet, at least 3 inches apart.

Pat down to circles 1/2-inch high.

 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through the baking time.

Cool on cooling racks.

The result?  19 ginormous cookies!

Peanut butter monster cookies

I try not to make the same thing on the blog, but sometimes, it's just so fitting that I have to let my "no repeats" rule slide by the wayside.  These cookies are one of those exceptions!

I made these peanut butter monster cookies for my birthday last year, but unfortunately didn't get to share them with many people.  Which is a complete shame, since they were amazing.  And HUGE.  So when my friend asked me to make some cookies for a baby shower she was attending last weekend, and we settled on a variety of large cookies, I knew I had to include these!  And since I knew I was making large cookies, I knew these would totally fit the bill!

These are a peanut butter lovers dream!  There's peanut butter in the cookie dough, peanut butter chips in the cookies, and then they're studded with Reese's Pieces!  Did I mention they're fantastic??

Peanut Butter Monster Cookies
Originally from here, and reposted on the blog

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Reese’s Pieces mini candies, 1 bag (They suggested two bags, since there weren't enough to coat all of the cookies with one bag - and I needed about 1/5 of an additional bag)

Directions:

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar (I used light brown sugar).
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla, and beat to combine.
Slowly add dry ingredients, and beat just until combined.
Don’t over beat at this stage.
Stir in oats, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes, meanwhile preheating oven to 350 degrees (F).

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Pour Reese’s Pieces candies onto a plate or into a flat bowl.

Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons - I actually used an ice cream scooper, which I purchased specifically for these cookies!) drop cookie dough into the bowl of candies.
Gently use your hand to press the dough down into the candies and flatten the dough into a disc, then transfer to cookie sheet.
Bake, six at a time, for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to darken.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes.
*If you skip this step, the cookies might break when you transfer them to a cooling rack.*

Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal cranberry cookies

Remember that baby shower I posted about yesterday?  The one where I said I was going to make a few varieties of cookies and that you should stay tuned?  Well, you should be glad you did because these next cookies that I made were pretty darn awesome!

I personally love oatmeal raisin cookies and find that too many people add nuts to theirs, therefore making me dislike them (if you're new to this blog, you should know for the future that I really don't like nuts in my baked goods).  I also love craisins, and find oatmeal craisin cookies to be delicious...I particularly like the tart dried cranberries in the sweet brown sugary cookie.  I debated trying some with white chocolate chips but was afraid that the white chocolate might be too sweet in the cookie, so I skipped the white chocolate chips this time. 

Because my friend had basically requested a cookie per person, I didn't want to skimp on the cookies and make them mini, so I went the complete opposite route and made massive cookies!  I tried to keep them the same size as the chocolate chunk ones.  I think I did a pretty decent job (the trick?  Using the same sized scooper for the cookies -- in this case an ice cream scoop).

Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (with and without White Chocolate Chips)
From Yums and Loves

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 Tablespoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sweetened dried cranberries (we both used Craisins)

1 and 1/4 cups old fashioned oats -- for some reason, these were left out in the directions below, so I added them in

2 cups white chocolate chips -- I skipped this this time

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. 

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  

Set aside. 

Beat butter at medium speed with mixer until creamy.  

Add sugars, beating well.

Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended.  

I added the oats here.

Gradually add flour mixture and beat until blended, scraping bowl as needed.  

Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.  I did that using a spatula, since the dough was thick and getting stuck in my hand mixer (which I'm using since I haven't been able to get my Kitchen-Aid fixed yet).

 

Drop dough by heaping spoonful onto cookie sheet.  I used my ice cream scoop, and again pressed them down a little into discs.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.  

Cool on sheet for about 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 

I ended up getting 16 GIGANTIC cookies!

Chewy apple oatmeal cookies

Apples are synonymous with fall, at least in my opinion.  Apple picking (which I haven't done in a while and am dying to go).  Apple cider.  Apple cookies.  Fall. 

Although you can't tell based on the weather in New York City today (it was a perfect 78 degrees), fall is right around the corner (3 days, to be exact).  So it seemed only fitting that on my day off today, I would bake something with apples.  I actually had two things in mind, but I needed apple cider for the other recipe, and I couldn't find it at two grocery stores (I know a grocery store that would have it, but it's a little far away....so I'll save that recipe for tomorrow).

It's probably not a surprise to you all that I love oatmeal raisin cookies (I do!), so I was excited to try this recipe.  I (not so shockingly) made them smaller than the recipe called for, so I stopped counting after the first 40 cookies, with a few more batches baked afterwards.  They're pretty awesome! 

I even think I have some of those awesome cinnamon chips in the cabinet, and those might make these cookies even more often (not that they need to be made better!).

Chewy Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown packed brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (I accidentally used a little more)
3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup chopped dried apples

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well.
Stir in oats and apples.

 

Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 in. (I used my cookie scooper and mine were smaller) apart onto ungreased baking sheets (I used parchment paper).

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown (since mine were smaller, 7-8 minutes was enough).

Let stand for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. 

 

Birthday week treat #3: Peanut butter monster cookies

I have a confession: these weren't the cookies I set out to make for my birthday. 

I had originally wanted to make these S'mores cookies that I had found on Pinterest ages ago.  They even had these adorable mini marshmallows in them.  But when I sat down and started scrolling though my "Things I Want to Bake" board, I couldn't find the recipe anywhere.  It vanished off the page!  See, the reason for wanting to make the s'mores cookies was that I made s'mores cupcakes for my birthday last year (as well as Kit Kat cupcakes, but this isn't about those).  While not in love with s'mores any more than the next person, I decided that for some birthday week continuity, I would make some s'mores cookies this year.  But lack of a recipe meant I had to scrap that idea. 

So I started looking through my Pinterest board trying to find another cookie that I would want to make for my birthday week of treats.  I came across these Peanut Butter Monster cookies.  HUGE peanut butter cookies with peanut butter and chocolate chips, covered in Reese's Pieces.  Cookies + candy + chocolate chips are definitely birthday treats!  Happy Birthday to me!  (These cookies would also be good for Halloween because, well, Reese's closely resemble Halloween colors.)

 These are not for the faint of heart.....or peanut allergic!

Peanut Butter Monster Cookies
(I got 21 cookies.....BIG cookies)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Reese’s Pieces mini candies, 1 bag (They suggested two bags, since there weren't enough to coat all of the cookies with one bag - and I needed about 1/5 of an additional bag)

Directions:

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.
Set aside.

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) cream together butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar (I used light brown sugar).
Beat until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla, and beat to combine.
Slowly add dry ingredients, and beat just until combined.
Don’t over beat at this stage.
Stir in oats, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes, meanwhile preheating oven to 350 degrees (F).

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Pour Reese’s Pieces candies onto a plate or into a flat bowl.

Using a large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoons - I actually used an ice cream scooper, which I purchased specifically for these cookies!) drop cookie dough into the bowl of candies.
Gently use your hand to press the dough down into the candies and flatten the dough into a disc, then transfer to cookie sheet.
Bake, six at a time, for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to darken.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes.
*If you skip this step, the cookies might break when you transfer them to a cooling rack.*

Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!