Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

 

IMG_8565

Here’s the best recipe for chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in my opinion. I’ve been making them for years and years, and my friends Morgan and Leah begged me to post it,  so here it is.  The key here is not having your butter too soft when you start out – ‘room temperature’…and making each cookie the same size for baking consistentcy…use a ‘cookie scoop’ if you have one.

Ingredients:

makes 3 dozen

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup large flake oats

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate chunks (if unavailable, increase chocolate chips)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare baking sheets, lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a bowl, mix together flour, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, salt. Set aside.

In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Add brown and granulated sugars and continue to beat, until well mixed and fluffy, scraping down sides as you go.

Beat in egg and vanilla.  With mixer on low, gradually add in flour/oat mixture, just until evenly mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and chunks with a wooden spoon.

Scoop dough in one tablespoon size globs, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes, rotating pan if necessary, until edges are golden.  Remove from oven to cool for a few minutes, then, using spatula, remove to a plate or rack to cool.  Eat! Yum!

IMG_8559

 

 

 

Walnut-Date Chews (gluten free)

Walnut Date Chews

Walnut Date Chews

IMG_5957

These are the best cookies if you want to avoid too many carbs, refined sugar, gluten, egg and dairy! Even if you aren’t avoiding these things, they are the best cookies. You know how after dinner you just want a little sweet? This fits the bill with absolutely no guilt and all pleasure.  It’s based on ‘bliss ball’ recipe but I’ve refined and adapted it to be even more blissful. I sometimes even crumble one on my yogurt in the morning.  They are a snap to make,  so get going.

Walnut-Date Chews

makes 16-20 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts

1/3 cup dates, diced (make sure they are soft – reconstitute them with boiling water if they are hard )

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Place walnuts in bowl of food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until roughly chopped.  Sprinkle dates over top and pulse 5 or 6 more times.  Add vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt.  Continue to pulse until walnuts and dates are finely minced and a nutty ‘dough’ has formed.  You may have to take the top of and move the mixture around, pressing it down, then pulse a few times, then repeat until it’s evenly processed.

Using a 1 tbsp scoop,  scoop balls of nut mixture onto cookie sheet.  Shape into flat-topped circles.  If using, place 2 chocolate chips on each cookie. (just for fun and a little hit of chocolate–so good).  Cookies only need to be about an inch apart, you can fit them all on one sheet.

Place in preheated oven for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Enjoy! Store in airtight container for 1 week, or freeze for up to a month.

process until fairly fine

process until fairly fine

these are the best dates

these are the best dates

1 tbsp of dough

1 tbsp of dough

bake at 350 for 9 mins

bake at 350 for 9 mins

 

YUM

YUM

 

 

 

 

Christmas Goodies

Ginny

Ginny

It’s that time of year again – it’s coming fast too! Here are  some links to some sweet and savory Christmas goodies– people always appreciate a home-baked gift.  These are some of my well-tested and favourite baking recipes. Happy Holiday to all of you and all the Best for 2014!

Healthy Nutty Balls

Savory Double Cheese Pecan Shortbreads

Cranberry Lemon Ricotta Cake

Traditional Shortbread

Ginger Cookies

Almond-Oatmeal Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Peanut Butter Buds

Big, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Glazed Mini Pumpkin Scones

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Fruity Butter Tarts

Fast Cinnamon Buns

Continue reading