Super Oatmeal Chip Spring Cleaning Cookies

Clean it all out!!!

  

Chewy, hearty and delicious!

I am super organized.  I keep everything in canning and working glass, I tape labels to it all, but I still seem to accumulate an assortment of baking supplies.  So as my spring cleaning headed to the kitchen, I decided to pull it all out and see what we could do with it.  There was coconut, butterscotch chips, a variety of chocolate chips, including white and even some christmas M&Ms!  

I love the surprise of a butterscotch chip

I also added oatmeal, my secret fiber ingredient. (Don't tell Mr. Preppy!) These cookies can handle about anything.  I made dozens, about 9 dozen, and froze them on trays and then tossed the balls in a freezer container.  So when the kids came home, or we needed a sweet, or I wanted to take a small, sweet happy to a friend, there were amazing cookies just minutes away from being ready. 

Freeze on a tray

Then fill a freezer container.  Try not to eat one!

Super Oatmeal Chip Spring Cleaning Cookies

2 cup butter, room temp

2 2/3 cup brown sugar

4 eggs

3  teaspoons vanilla

3 cups  flour

3 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

4 1/2 cups of stuff...raisins, chocolate chips, dried fruit, coconut, nuts, anything

A heavy duty mixer is a must!

Cream butter and sugar in electric mixer bowl until fluffy and no brown sugar lumps are visible.  Add the eggs and mix just until incorporated.  Add all dry ingredients up to the oats and mix well.  Fold in the oats and stuff.  Cover and chill the dough an hour or overnight.  It is easier to handle cold and the cookies won't spread as much.

Preheat oven to 340F on convection, 350F regular.  Make uniform mounds on Silpat or parchment lined pans and bake about 12 minutes, but check at 8 minutes.  The colder the dough the closer to 12 minutes, later batches will bake faster.  Rotate halfway through cooking time.  Cool on pan, then rack, when they are firm enough to move.  Make coffee and give me a ring...

Rainy Day Baking

I have a headache. Not a dull achy one, but one that sneaks up on you every few minutes in the base of your head. So, after another glamorous day of work in the stockroom, I took a handful of Excedrin and hit the couch. I was aroused by the most fabulous smell....
It's cold and rainy and Christina decided baking was a better idea than getting a head start on homework. I raised her right, don't you agree? She was in the mood for oatmeal and chocolate chips, a favorite combination around here. So she whipped up a batch of some PDG cookies. (That's pretty dang good, in case you didn't know).
Here's the recipe, and a few amateur pictures, I need to teach her a little about lighting!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups flour (I use King Arthur white-whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 Tablespoons corn syrup (light or dark)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/3 cup oatmeal (not instant)
2 cups chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a mixer cream butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, corn syrup and vanilla and mix until blended. Add dry ingredients and when incorporated add chocolate chips.
Drop dough onto Silpat covered cookie sheets and bake about 12 minutes, or until crispy along the edges.
Cool on rack.
Makes about 60 cookies