Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 cups raisins

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract  -- you will soak raisins in this mixture

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar (dark preferably)

1 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1/2 to 3/4 cup organic coconut milk (Unsweetened) or use 1/2- 3/4 cup water

Walnuts 1 1/2 cups (optional)

Dried cranberries (optional) or other add-ins of your choice

Directions:

Beat the eggs in a small bowl.  Add the raisins and vanilla and let soak for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.  This step is the "secret" to great cookies.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugars.  Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Beat until blended, then beat in the eggs, vanilla, raisins, and oatmeal.  Stir in nuts and/or other add-ins.  Dough will be STIFF.

Scoop golfball-size rounds of dough onto rimmed baking sheets (cover sheets with parchment paper) and flatten slightly.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until nicely browned.  Using a spatula, transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Store separately as much as possible in an airtight container or they will stick together (I put mine in-between wax paper and stacked in layers in an air-tight container or cookie tin -- make sure cookies are completely cool before storing).  These cookies are really soft and chewy.  Yum!

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

Remember at Halloween time in Hampstead, I'd make these cookies, guys?  They are so soft and delicious.  You can spread a canned white icing (or make your own with confectioners' sugar and milk) over the top of each cookie, or make Halloween pumpkin faces, etc.  Just use your imagination.  I love most anything pumpkin -- the flavor is great and a wonderful cookie to make over holidays.  I also would shape the dough into a pumpkin with a "stem" -- so cute!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Libby's solid pack pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Cream butter, gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix well.

Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition -- beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop onto slightly greased baking sheets or line sheets with parchment paper for a non-stick surface.

Bake 20-25 minutes

Decorate with icing -- purchased from the baking isle in grocery store -- or combine confectioners' sugar with milk -- using just enough milk to create a smooth creamy icing.  Decorate top of cookies with chocolate chips (for eyes), etc. 

Gingersnaps

This cookie recipe was handed down to me by my friend, Deb.  It is sooo good!  If you're about to sell your house, stick these in the oven prior to a showing -- one sure way to get that house sold!  Lol

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Directions:
Combine first 8 ingredients (excluding flour) in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.  Add the flour in two parts, mixing after each addition.  Chill for 1 hour (or as long as you like).  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll small ping-pong size balls of dough in your hands and dip tops in white sugar.  Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet, sugar side up about 2" apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.


This recipe is much like the soft ginger cookie recipe you found, Brit.

Sour Cream Cookies

Great cookies!  Turns out soft and delicious every time.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sour cream -- not fat free
*cinnamon sugar

Directions:
Cream butter, add sugar gradually; add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add vanilla.

Mix and sift four, salt, baking powder and soda.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto well-greased cookie sheet or drop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake:  400 degrees, 10-12 minutes

* I mix together in a small bowl, cinnamon and tons of white sugar (you should see lots of the white granules of sugar mixed in with the cinnamon).  If you can find an empty spice jar, it's great.  Put this mixture in the jar and sprinkle over cookies prior to baking.  Also, during the holidays I buy the red and green sprinkles -- very festive!

Soft Ginger Cookies

Soft, and spicy, and you don't want to stop eating!  Remember the Thanksgiving you made these, Brit?  You found the recipe online and brought it with you when you flew home from school -- I was buried under pots and pans in the kitchen Thanksgiving Eve (I think you found me eventually under the turkey roast pan -- Lol) while you were mixing these divine things up somewhere in that horrific kitchen.  I think either you or James (or both) actually got sick after eating an entire batch during a late night Monopoly game  -- I was still lost in the kitchen so not quite sure how that went down!  :)  So worth making these -- the aroma from the oven puts you in the holiday mood no matter what month of the year.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer), cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg, followed by the water and molasses.  Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.  *Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll tops in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Place the cookies 2 inches apart (sugared tops up) onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly using your fingers or back of a large spoon.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

*Note:  Put the dough in the frig for about 30 minutes if it's "sticky" before shaping into balls.  This is what I do and it works great.