It seems like forever since we baked cookies here in the Sweetnicks kitchen, and with the holidays nearly here, the kitchen should be covered with baking activities from corner to corner. Not yet. Haven’t fleshed out my game plan of what I’m baking this year, nor how many CARE packages I’ll be delivering and sending — that’s this weekend’s activity. But in the meantime, I baked off a batch of cookies for Nicholas to take to school tomorrow, using a new recipe for the aptly titled Holiday Oatmeal Cookies, that I found in the December issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.
As I was folding the batter, I thought these might just be a slightly glorified oatmeal raisin cookie, just made different by the addition of the chocolate chips, but surprisingly they weren’t. A nice crispy exterior, yet remaining soft inside, they were quite tasty, and Nicholas snagged a handful before I could get them in the cookie jar. With the chocolate chips, you know they were delicious warm from the oven with the chocolate all smooth and melty. Mmmm, yum. Although chocolate is an antioxidant itself, I upped the ante and added dried cranberries as well. It is ARF/5-A-Day, after all.
Until tomorrow…
A year ago today… Chinese food and cookies.
P.S. Don’t forget to place your order for the 2007 Eli/Sweetnicks Desktop Calendars! Just $5, includes shipping, and you have the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite animal lover. A portion of the proceeds will benefit animal rescue. You can see here for a sample of one of the pages. Drop me a line at sweetnicksplace@aol.com to place your order.
Cooking Debauchery is up first this week with her Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I have a few sweet potatoes left; this sounds scrumptious!
From Albion Cooks, the accidentally holiday-hued Spaghetti with Broccoli, Cherry Tomatoes and Chick Peas:
From My Kitchen to Yours is back this week with her Brussels Sprouts Kari/Poriyal. With that list of ingredients, I bet it’s packed with flavor.
The Cookbook Junkie tries her hand at Chicken Souvlaki. Mmmm, love Tzatziki sauce.
Up a Creek Without a PatL combines some of my favorite flavors in her Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing:
Cooking is Medicine celebrates yesterday’s National Cookie Day by making Triple Fruit Cookies, which are packed with antioxidants.
The Chocolate Lady may be out of words, but she certainly takes a gorgeous shot of cabbage!
Holiday Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe Courtesy of Good Housekeeping (December 2006)
Yields: About 4 dozen cookies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup raisins
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
Preheat oven to 350F. On waxed paper, combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and brown and granulated sugars until creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl. With spoon, stir in oats, raisins, and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by heaping measuring tablespoons, 2 inches apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 13 to 15 minutes or until tops are golden. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.
Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temperature up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.
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