Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are TO DIE FOR.  No matter how many basic cookie recipes I try, this is the one I keep coming back to.  It is just downright perfect.  The original recipe came from my husband's family cookbook (that I keep talking about...it is a goldmine folks) and was shared by his mothers twin sister, Brenda.  I did change the recipe from shortening to butter.  I try to keep things more natural and I much prefer my family to be eating butter over shortening.  Shortening does make the cookies more fluffy, while using butter causes you to have a flatter cookie.  I have heard that it helps to refrigerate the cookie dough until it is nice and cold, but I haven't tried it because when I make cookies I want 'em NOW!    

This time, I used 1 c. chocolate chips and 1 c. m&m's for no other reason than I didn't have enough chocolate chips.  Use a combo of any chips you like, you can't go wrong!  

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

2 c. quick oats

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Add flour, soda, and salt and mix well.  Stir in chips and oatmeal.  Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350* until they are just barely turning brown on the edges, 6-7 minutes.

Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello.  It is a new day, I think, but I am still at it, shampooing my carpets.  I finished my entire upstairs yesterday (spending nearly 3 hours getting paint out of my daughters carpet before finally giving up) and today I am working on my downstairs.  Oh, then I will go BACK upstairs to shampoo where my dog got sick last night on my freshly shampooed carpets.  Some days, I feel like I am fighting a losing battle.  Oh well, there are worse problems in the world than a house that your family/dog will not let you really get clean.  I am thankful I have 3 healthy children that have the energy and curiosity necessary to turn my home upside down most days.  Now say that 10 times.  


Here are some fabulous chocolate chip cookies that my kids (and husband...and me) absolutely adore.  Yes, they are "just" plain chocolate chip cookies, but they really are anything but plain.  

Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened (DO NOT MELT!!!)

1/2 c. shortening (You can also just use more butter instead.  The cookies won't go flat (like mine are) if you chill the dough 1 hour before baking.)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 package milk chocolate chips (2 cups)

Mix butter, shortening, and sugars--do not overmix (the key to this recipe is minimal mixing - try it with a wooden spoon instead of a mixer).  Add vanilla and eggs.  Sift together the dry ingredients and add them next.  Mix until everything is combined.  Add chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Remove them from the oven when they are barely brown.  Serve warm out of the oven with a tall glass of cold milk:-)  

Fudge Puddles

I made these Fudge Puddles on a lazy Saturday afternoon a couple of weeks ago.  I thought we could have them with our Super Bowl spread but it didn't work out.  The reason it didn't work out, is that they didn't last that long.  Nope, they were gone by Sunday afternoon.

Fudge Puddles

Cookie Crust Recipe:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and sugars.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Next, in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamy mixture.  Chill dough in the fridge for 1 hour or the freezer for 15 minutes.  Remove from fridge and form into 1-inch balls (you may use a small melon scoop to make it easier to get them to be uniform in size).  Grease a mini muffin pan and drop 1 ball in each cup (you should end up with 48 balls).  Bake in a 325* oven for15 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Remove from the oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball to form a cup.  Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.  

When your cookies are finished baking, it is time to make the fudge filling mixture.

Fudge Filling Recipe:

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. milk chocolate or butterscotch chips

14 oz. can of sweetened, condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

chopped nuts or sprinkles (optional)

In a microwave-safe bowl or saucepan, combine all ingredients except nuts or sprinkles.  Microwave for 1 minute.  Stir well.  If there are still unmelted chips, continue to microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring well each time you remove it from the microwave.  Be careful to not over-cook. 

Spoon mixture into cookie cups...OR...place filling mixture in a pastry bag and pipe it in!  This is what I did, and it worked great!

Source: Mommy's Kitchen or allrecipes.com