OATMEAL RAISIN WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Today we celebrate two food holidays: Oatmeal Cookie Day and Raisin Day. Put the two holidays and their ingredients together, add Chocolate Chips, and make these delicious Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.

OATMEAL RAISIN WALNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup ground walnuts
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup raisins

Directions
In small bowl mix flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
In large mixing bowl beat butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
At low speed, beat in flour mixture until blended.
Fold in ground walnuts, oats, chocolate chips, and raisins.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 2 baking sheets.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with fork.
Bake cookies until lightly browned around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
Transfer to flattened brown paper bags or wire racks to cool.

Tip: Dough also freezes well. Freeze dough balls on a cookie sheet and then put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer until ready to bake!

VANISHING OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day! You could make traditional Oatmeal Cookies with raisins, but really? what's a cookie without chocolate?  So, here's an adapted recipe from Quaker Oats for their Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Chocolate Chips (or Chocolate Chunks) instead of raisins. The original recipe is found on most Quaker Oats boxes...and on the website.

VANISHING OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
1/2 Cup plus 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Cup Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks
 (optional) 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
Add oats and Chocolate Chips (or Chocolate Chunks) and chopped walnuts (optional); mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Alternative: Bar Cookies
Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Cut into bars.

Vanishing Oatmeal See's Bridge Mix Cookies: National Oatmeal Cookie Day!

Today is Oatmeal Cookie Day, and usually I'd post a recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, but this recipe is even better! My friend Harriet Stay told me about a recipe from See's Candies that uses a 1 pound box of their Bridge Mix. Bridge Mix is made up of almonds, pecans and raisins mixed with mini Molasses Chips, See's Caramel, California Brittle and more.. and all coated in milk and dark chocolate. Harriet  noted that the recipe is exactly the same as the one on the top of the Quaker Oats box called "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies" substituting the See's Candies Bridge Mix for the raisins. I didn't find that exact recipe from See's, but I did find the Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies recipe. Of course, you might not have See's Bridge Mix at hand, but you can always use other chopped up candy in place of See's Bridge Mix.

VANISHING OATMEAL SEE'S BRIDGE MIX COOKIES

Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup SEE'S BRIDGE MIX

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well.
Add oats and See's Bridge Mix. Combine well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Variation: 
Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Vanishing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day, and it's also National Raisin Day! Well, you could make Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, but where's the chocolate? A food holiday without chocolate is not a holiday to celebrate! So, here's an adapted recipe from Quaker Oats for their Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Chocolate chips (or Chocolate Chunks) instead of raisins. The original recipe is found on most Quaker Oats boxes...and definitely on the website.

VANISHING OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
1/2 Cup plus 6 Tbsp sweet butter, softened
3/4 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1-1/2 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 Cup Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 Cup Chocolate Chips or Chocolate Chunks
 (optional) 3/4 cup chopped walnuts 

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
Add oats and Chocolate Chips (or Chocolate Chunks) and chopped walnuts (optional); mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Alternative: Bar Cookies
Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Cut into bars.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies: Oatmeal Cookie Day!

Today is Oatmeal Cookie Day! Who doesn't love a good oatmeal cookie? I do! But I especially love them when they're filled with chocolate chips rather than raisins!

Here's a great simple recipe for Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, recipe adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook!

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sweet butter, softened
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
1 egg
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or 6 oz chopped chocolate)
1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.
In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until blended. Stir in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Enjoy the Day!!!