Molasses Oatmeal Cookies

True story - I made these cookies to give to the neighbors, and asked Dave to taste test and tell me what he thinks.

Dave: well they're not your normal chocolate chip cookie.
Me:    good thing,  since they are molasses oatmeal. (insert eye roll).
Dave: Can I be brutally honest? I wouldn't give them to the neighbors because they don't know how  good your cookies can be, and these are ok but not up to your usual level of delicious baking.
Me:    dang. ok, well then I don't know what I'm going to do with 5 dozen of them...

Later that day LeDonna stops by, I tell her the story and ask if she'll please take some cookies since they aren't 'good enough' to give to the neighbors. An hour later she texts me this:

LeDonna: Let me be brutally honest - the molasses oatmeal cookies are FABULOUS!!! I've had 4 cookies already and trying to save some for the others! My tastebuds are very happy!

Needless to say, I went ahead and gave some to the neighbors (who loved them for the record) and my friend Cassie (who also loved them and asked for the recipe)!! Just because they aren't Dave's favorite doesn't mean they aren't good - everyone else is very happy with them!

• 1 and 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tasoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons coffee (you can use leftover coffee from breakfast)
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup light Karo syrup
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• coarse, natural raw sugar (optional for the tops)

Place the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Pour the softened butter on top of the sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.

Mix in the eggs and beat until well incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy.

Sprinkle in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt; mix in until they're incorporated. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla and coffee. Mix well.

Mix in the cranberries. Add the molasses and Karo syrup and beat until everything is combined. 

Add the oats, mix thoroughly.

Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition (the purpose of this is so the flour doesn't fly out of the bowl, adding it slowly will keep down the mess!).

Take the bowl out of the mixer, give it a final stir by hand to make sure that none of the cookie batter sticks to the sides, then stir in the chips by hand. 

Spray your cookie sheets with non-stick baking spray or line them with parchment paper (I use parchment paper, clean up is a breeze that way!). 

Drop the cookies by heaping large spoonfuls (I use a medium-size 2 Tablespoon scoop) onto your prepared cookie sheets, no more than 9 large cookies to a standard size sheet. Sprinkle with natural sugar if you want. Bake at 350' for 13-15 minutes or until set and lightly golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven, let them cool on the pans for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

yield: 5 dozen large, soft and chewy cookies

Notes and changes I made: the original recipe calls for salted butter (I use unsalted and add coarse salt), golden raisins (I don't like raisins so substituted dried cranberries), quick cooking oats (I used old-fashion), I added a sprinkle of coarse sugar to the tops, it says to bake for 15-18 minutes but mine took less time, and lastly the original recipe says it makes 2-3 dozen but I got 5. Oh, and the original title is "soft and chewy milk chocolate cookies' but it seems more like a 'molasses oatmeal' cookie to me!

I found this recipe in one of those murder/cooking books by Joanne Fluke

one year ago: my sister made creepy donut hole eyeballs
two years ago: make a tassel keychain or purse charm
three years ago: how I decorate our front porch

S'Mores Cookies

I have been busy all day in the kitchen and am just now sitting down to share with you! It was pouring rain and a little cooler (a little as in 80 instead of 90!) this morning so I was in the mood to bake cookies (and make some other goodies I'll share with you a diff day). Saw this on a site I follow (Mel's Kitchen Cafe) and they got rave reviews so I wanted to try them...we've been camping a lot this summer but so far we haven't made S'mores - these cookies seem like the next best thing to actually roasting marshmallows over the campfire.

I'm a little peeved at Dave because he came in as I was baking them and asked which one he could taste test (he knows to not just grab a cookie, he gets to eat the ones that don't look so great haha) - I gave him one and asked his opinion, he said "well it's such a small cookie I couldn't really get a good taste" so he had another. And said the same thing. Then I yelled at him to please at least slow down and tell me if they are good before popping another in his mouth! I mean seriously, most cookies are good - but is this a 'keeper' good recipe or a 'one time' good recipe? Then LeDonna came in the kitchen and tried one like a normal person and told me they are indeed a 'keeper' good recipe and she wouldn't change a thing - she did say they brought one word to mind..."s'more" (as in she wanted more haha!).

Here is Mel's recipe ~ my changes are that I used store-bought graham cracker crumbs because I happen to have a box on hand; I used coarse salt instead of regular; and I scooped the cookie dough using my small cookie scoop so I have small one- (if you're Dave) or two-bite cookies that only took 9 minutes to bake, and it made over 5 dozen instead of the 2-3 dozen her recipe says.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons, 6 ounces) butter, softened
• 1 cup (7.5 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (8.75 ounces) all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) graham cracker crumbs (about 9 rectangle crackers crushed)
• 2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips or chunks
• 1 cup (1.75 ounces) miniature marshmallow bits (see note)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
 
2. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, add the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Mix together until very light and creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until evenly combined.
4. Add the flour and graham cracker crumbs and mix until just barely combined; a few dry streaks are ok.
5. Add the chocolate chips or chunks and marshmallow bits and mix until incorporated.
6. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing at least 2-inches apart.. I like to roll the mounds of dough so they are smooth, but you don’t have to be obsessive like me.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until just golden on the edges and a little crackly on top. Let the cookies sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

note:

About those marshmallow bits, your average mini marshmallows will not work! They’ll melt into huge craters and become a puddly, burned mess ruining one of summer’s most perfect cookies. Trust me, I tried it. Instead, you need marshmallow bits. In other words, dehydrated marshmallows. They should be pretty easy to find. They are often located right by the other marshmallows in the grocery store or by the hot chocolate (another great way to use them, btw), and someone mentioned looking by the ice cream toppings. I’ve also ordered them on Amazon (this brand and this brand – aff. links) and found them in bulk at my local Cash and Carry.

Dried Cranberry and Chocolate Cookies

You guys are gonna think I'm an un-organized forgetful mess (which I occasionally am!), but I'm going to point it out and share this anyway so you have the correct info. I posted last week about some cookies I made and gave you the recipe (click here for that post)...which is all good except that isn't the recipe I made! That's what I get for waiting too long to post something I've made - I had different recipes on my desk for these cookies but I shared one that wasn't the one I actually made. I just now realized my mistake because I'm cleaning up my messy desk and came across the recipe torn out of a magazine and covered with cookie dough - that's when I realized I gave you the wrong one (you'd think I would have remembered not making that other recipe!). Good grief - I cannot say for sure if last weeks recipe is any good!! Here is the version I DID make, and they are good - if you made them with the other recipe and they didn't turn out I'M SORRY!!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking or old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (10 ounces), at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups semisweet or white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325'.Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a mixer beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy. Add the egg followed by the egg yolk and vanilla, beating well between additions and scraping down the side of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the dry ingredients, then add the chocolate chips and cranberries and beat until incorporated.
3. Spoon heaping teaspoons of the dough onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies begin to brown at the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

I found this recipe in a Food and Wine magazine from November 2011

Granola Bites

My sister went on a road trip and right before she left I woke up thinking I should make her a treat for the car - last summer I made my niece popcorn toffee crack bars and they were a big hit (click here for that post and recipe), but I wanted to make my sissy something different. Of course I decided I was making whatever at 7a.m. still in my pajamas so had to make it with ingredients I already had on hand...enter these granola bites. I tweaked a recipe for granola bars I found here, and they turned out really good! So good that my sis declared she was telling everyone she made them and if I wanted her to write a blog post on how good she did she'd be happy to do so hahahaha. Dork.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 T. honey
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups oats
• 1 cup honey nut chex cereal 
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• pinch of coarse salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350'. Spray mini muffin tins with non-stick spray. 
2. In a big glass measuring bowl microwave peanut butter, honey, and vanilla for 30 seconds.
3. Add bananas and mash together with a fork, then stir in brown sugar and mix well.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir to combine (it'll be thick). 
5. Fill the mini muffin tins equally with about 2 T. dough in each, flatten the tops so they are about even with the top of the mini muffin tin.
6. Bake about 12-14 minutes until edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Store in the fridge. Makes about 32 bites.

note: you can also freeze these. 

Crunchy Fruity Granola

Janis has been making this recipe for years, it came out of a children's cookbook so I was thinking it was going to be super sweet or something to get kids to eat it haha, but it isn't - and it's really good!

I've never made granola before, turns out it isn't hard at all and you can easily control the ingredients - just put in what you like. I added white and dark chocolate chips, and sprinkled a little coarse salt in...yum.

Dave is allergic to nuts and it's not easy to find granola without them, so I made him a batch with cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips filled with coconut - delish.

I  have a couple tips for you (and myself next time):

(1) actually read the directions all the way thru before you start, or you'll be picking the cranberries and raisins out of the mix before baking it like me...

(2) instead of spraying the baking sheets with non stick spray like we did, use parchment paper! It stuck to the sheets pretty good and took a lot of scraping to break it up.

We made 5 batches and ended up with 11 pint sized mason jars full. To give as gifts we cut circles of Christmas paper for the top and are putting ribbon around the lid.

Rocky Road Cookies

I saw this recipe in a magazine - it's actually one dough that they made into 3 different cookies, what's not to like about a one dough with multiple options recipe? Well I was curious and wanted to try it...I had the ingredients on hand for the rocky road version so that's the only one of the 3 I tried - it's a basic dough so not much to talk about there, but after baking one sheet and taste testing (someone has to be the taste taster!) I thought they didn't have much flavor so decided to doctor the rest of the batch. 

I added a very big scoop of peanut butter,  a pinch of coarse salt, more marshmallows, and more chocolate chips. Oh, I should say that I didn't use chopped up dark chocolate - I had milk chocolate chips in the pantry so that's what I used, and I left out the nuts because I don't like nuts in cookies. Maybe the cookies would have been better with the ingredients called for instead of my substitution haha!! Anyway...adding the peanut butter to the batter made them taste much better.

 I drizzled them with chocolate chips melted with a tablespoon of shortening. You can drizzle by dunking a fork in the melted chocolate and flicking over the cookies, but I put it in a small ziplock baggie and cut a small corner off the tip and drizzled that way - much less messy and you can control the amount on each cookie easier I think.  They turned out really good - I will make these again with my changes for sure.  Note that on the website they aren't showing these as one dough for three cookies like they did in the magazine, the other 2 options are bourbon cranberry walnut, and caramel popcorn - both can be found on the website.

the batter is very crumbly but after scooping into balls it comes together and holds its shape... 

put the melted chocolate in a small baggie and snip a small corner off

then drizzle over cookies

2/2024 UPDATE: going back thru some of my old posts and when I click the link for the recipe it isn't found anymore. I hate that I didn't provide the recipes sometimes back in my olden days, this has happened to me before - only providing the link to the recipe was an oversight on my part. I can't find the original recipe, here is one from Wilton that seems pretty basic and looks similar to my finished cookie. Read the notes up top though that I really doctored the basic recipe - chances are I'd do the same with this recipe haha! 

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon Clear Imitation Vanilla Extract, 2 oz.

• 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

• 1 cup almonds

• 1 cup mini marshmallows

  
  

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• 
  
• In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well. Stir in chocolate chunks, almonds and mini mallow bits. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie pan.
• 
  
• Bake 11-13 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 3 minutes on pan; remove and cool completely on cooling grid.