We are introduced, at an early age, to the sweet wondernous of a cookie. From teething cookies to soothe the swollen aching gums of incoming incisors, onto animal crackers purchased in rectangular-shaped boxes bearing a string handle for easy toting by little fingers. Deciding which part of the animal should be eaten first-the trunk of the elephant or the tail of a lion-depended on how hungry one was. Savor each and every one or simply gobble them down as fast as possible.

My next cookie memory would be the ever famous, possibly all-time favorite, the chocolate chip cookie. There is nothing better than to bite into a round circle of baked dough sprinkled with gooey melt-in-your-mouth chocolate. A chocolate chip cookie can dry tears, heal broken hearts, mend scraped knees and elbows and solve sibling arguments. Most of the problems in the world could likely be solved by a properly baked, right out of the oven, chocolate chip cookie. The power of a cookie is underestimated.

I will attempt in the next 365 days to prepare and comment on a year’s worth of different cookies-one for each day. My goal is to share with others my extreme love of cookies-baking them and especially eating them! Feel free to send me your favorite recipe, your earliest cookie memories, or how cookies may have influenced your life. Cookies Rule!


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cookie Recipe #25 - Oatmeal Scotchies


Oatmeal Scotchies fill your house with the smell of butterscotch while they are baking-you can hardly wait for them to cool long enough so you can pop one in your mouth without burning it. It was back to work for me today. My husband and I own our business, air duct cleaning and while my son, Joe, was on his Christmas break, he helped with the business. Gave me more time to bake! But Joe went back to San Jose State yesterday, so, of course, we had 3 big jobs today. Thankful for the work, though, when so many people are without, and ours is so inconsistent. This explains why cookie baking didn't happen until about 7pm tonight. Doesn't matter when you bake, it always smells good!!
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked, 2 cups butterscotch chips.
Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Sift bowl of dry ingredients over butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. By hand, stir in oats and morsels. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes; another 1-2 minutes for crisper cookies. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for a minute or two before transfering to cooling racks.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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