Category: Food

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies head to head

Sadie1 Comment

A couple weeks ago my best friend asked me if I had a recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I thought about it for a few minutes and realized that I haven’t made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in long time, so I had nothing to recommend.

As luck would have it, I browsed through the cookie recipes that I’ve pinned on Pinterest and I had several oatmeal cookie recipes on my “to-do” recipe board. I decided to give this one a try because it looked unbelievably simple. And then two weeks later I needed another cookie recipe so I tried this one.

The first ones were a little on the crumbly side, but they have really good flavor. I would definitely recommend giving these a try! I felt the need to add pecans to this recipe, but you can certainly keep it to just chocolate chips!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest, yields 2-3 dozen cookies depending on size

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 c old fashioned oats
  • 2 c AP flour
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 c brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 c canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips (you might want to start with 1 cup and add if needed)
  • 1/2 c chopped pecans (a little more if desired)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips and pecans in mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Batter will be kind of loose and crumbly.

batter up3. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to portion batter onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. As you portion out approximately 1.5 inch balls or mounds, the dough might not stick together very will, but it should all be resolved in the oven.

ready for the oven

4. Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies are just golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

ready to eat

The second recipe was a little more involved because it added coconut. So they were more like an everything cookie between the oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips. This batter was more moist than the previous recipe, and I think letting it rest overnight gave it really good flavor (note to self: start these the night before you want to bake them!). Both recipes got raves, but I think I’m leaning towards this one if I need to make oatmeal cookies again soon.

Chunky Lola Cookies

Adapted from Ink Lemonade, yields about 20 cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 3/8 sticks of unsalted butter
  • 2/3 c granulated sugar
  • 2/3 c light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 c unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 c old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 9 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2/3rds of a bag)
  • 1 1/4 c pecan halves, toasted and chopped
  • 1 c sweetened shredded coconut

Method

1. Cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a wisk or wooden spoon.

3. Add wet mixture to dry and fold by hand with wisk or wooden spoon. Fold in coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.

photogenic batter

4. Allow batter to chill in refrigerator overnight (or at least a few hours).

5. Preheat oven to 350. Portion cookie dough with a tablespoon or ice cream scoop. Flatten the dough balls into thick disks on the parchment lined cookie sheet to encourage the desired shape.

ready for the oven

6. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on wire rack.

(I’m sorry I forgot to take a pic of the final product)

Give Thanks

CarrieLeave a comment

This year I hosted my first Thanksgiving.  I am proud to relay the message that it was a success.  While gathering around the table, I said a Thankgiving prayer and then took a moment to silently reflect on the past year.  I am thankful for many wonderful blessings…my family, friends, career, cozy home…the list goes on and on.   Now that I am myself again, I can also say that I am thankful to have been loved and to have experienced love.  I’m not sure when I will have a go at it again, but I can finally say that I am healed from the heartbreak.  I didn’t know how the holiday would pass, but I can honestly say that I didn’t miss having that special someone around.  I admit that it was quite refreshing to be able to do my own thing.  I spent the weekend with friends and family and enjoyed every minute of it. Here’s a look at the Thanksgiving spread.

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Now it’s time to get decorating for Christmas!  The countdown begins.

 

What’s for Dinner Tonight – Chicken Marsala

Carrie1 Comment

IMG_0918An easy and comforting meal to make is chicken marsala.  I usually serve this with mashed potatoes or rice pilaf because I’m not a huge fan of pasta.  You can pick whatever you want to pair it with depending on what your mood is that night.  You simply can’t go wrong because the flavorful sauce is the shining star of this dish.  The marsala wine and the saltiness of the prosciutto make this dish stand out.

The recipe that I use to make this dish is provided by Tyler Florence.  I must say that he is a master at perfecting a classic dish.  You can find the recipe here.  Be sure to use a good marsala wine when making this dish.  Don’t use something that you buy at the grocery store.  Please take the time and go to your local wine and beer store.  I like to use Taylor when I use marsala wine or sherry for cooking.  Always choose something you wouldn’t mind drinking on its own.  If you don’t want to drink it in a glass, don’t cook with it either.  You’re taking time to make a home cooked meal and you don’t want to ruin it with low quality ingredients.

Now let’s get going.  Ready, set, cook!