I gave up sugar for the month of January. The decision came from many reasons, and I’m sure you can guess at least some of them. On January 19th, I went away for the weekend to the cutest lodge in Tahoe, where they provided S’more fixings, a bonfire, and homemade waffles for breakfast in the morning. “No sugar” turned into three S’mores but I still felt strong about my resolution to not eat sugar…”except not when on vacation.”
I ate a brownie on the drive home. At work on Wednesday, a coworker brought in delicious chocolate chip cookies to thank some staff members for helping with a project, there were pastries in the office, and I rediscovered the chocolate peanut butter in the back of a cabinet. On Friday, I threw the resolution completely out the window and baked Martha Stewart’s “Oatmeal Raisin Cookies” — but less healthy. Raisins turned into chocolate and peanut butter chips. Walnuts turned into rainbow sprinkles. What other delicious goodies could I pack into these bad boys? When you’re going for it, go hard. With celebration.
Try not to eat too much of the dough; but, if you’re like me, you might eat about half the dough before getting it into the oven. Is there such a thing as a sugar diet? If there were, I’d be winning.
Everything Oatmeal Cookies
Yield: 48 cookies
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 14 min for each pan
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (can use regular all-purpose if you prefer)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried shredded coconut
1/8 cup rainbow sprinkles (or as much as you like to add some whimsical color!)
Anything else you’d like to mix into your batter! Can I suggest a spoon or two of peanut butter? A handful of broken pretzel pieces or chopped up Reese’s? Yum.
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients (oats through salt).
3. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars – mixing until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and, mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, walnuts, cranberries, coconut, and sprinkles one at a time (sprinkles should be last so they don’t bleed color into your dough too much).
4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Don’t try to fit more on the sheet or you’ll end up with cookies baking into each other.
5. Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on sheets on wire racks for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.
Cookies and Candids 
ThatsOneToughCookie is back, with a cookie recipe! Looks Like I have a new “to-do” this week. As always love your writing and the sneak-peak into your lives.
xxxx
Want to cook together soon