WeldrBrat's Oatmeal Cookies

Everybody has their own version.  Right?!

I know!

But nothing gives me greater pleasure than sneaking a really great vitamin source into a snack – especially, when it’s some type of food that most people just never seem to pick up eating by itself.

And I smile really, really BIG - at those falling in love with these cookies while they’re eating them – knowing full well they’d be one of that “ Ewwwwww! “ crowd!

You know… the ones that don’t like Broccoli.

Noooooo… I did not!

" Come see! "

WeldrBrat’s Oatmeal Cookies

Makes a Double-Batch… approximately 8 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2 sticks Unsalted Butter **

1 ½ c. firmly packed Brown Sugar

1 c. Sugar

4 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

3 c. All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Salt ( or not )

6 c. Old-fashioned Oats ( uncooked )

1 c. Dried Cranberries

1 ½ c. Dried Cherries ( chopped )

Directions:

Set out 2 sticks of Butter to come to Room Temperature.  ** I have found that ( and I don’t know why ) taking 2 sticks of butter from the freezer to bring to room temperature makes a huge difference in the texture of this cookie.

Once your Butter has come to a firmness without a chill – turn your oven on to 350*.  Begin your preparation.

In a Medium-Size Bowl:

Combine Flour – Baking Soda – Cinnamon and Salt with a wisk.  Set aside.

In a Large Mixing Bowl:

Combine Butter and Sugars, until you have a nice meld that looks almost like a doughy paste.

Add Eggs and Vanilla.  Mix thoroughly, just enough to get an even blend.

Add Flour mixture.  I do this in 3 portions to keep a white mess from spreading all over my kitchen!  Start on the lowest speed and increase to second speed to get each portion completely incorporated.

Add Dried Cranberries and Dried Cherries.  Mix thoroughly.

Final step… CAREFULLY add Oatmeal.  My KitchenAid tends to try sending the batter over the edge.  So, don’t walk away!  I turn the machine off a couple times – to scoop all the batter back down into the center of the bowl for better mixing.

Do NOT be tempted to turn up the speed on your mixer to get better mixing.

Trust me.  Just – don’t do it.

Dob hefty Teaspoonfuls ( a little smaller than a golf ball ) onto cookie sheets.  Bake for approximately 13 minutes.  All ovens vary.  So, check!  Pull no later than when you see a brown crust developing around edges of cookies.

Leave cookies to set on cookie sheet while you set up another batch on a second cookie sheet.  Once you put the second sheet of cookies into the oven…

Pull cookies off with spatula and set onto waxed paper to cool further.

If you can manage to let ‘em get that far, anyway!  Ha!

Holiday Leftover Roll of Sweet Sin

The period of time following the Christmas Holidays makes for a perfect example as to when it’s a perfect time for having some Grown-Up fun getting messy with this recipe!

Alright - so it’s really just a perfect - excuse.

However - if you’re over the age of 41 years - why do you need an excuse for anything?

I prefer to consider this as being no different than cleaning my refrigerator - thank you very much.

Okay.  Now that we have the philosophy of life squared away…

Cleaning up your Holiday Baking Leftovers - simply relies upon - Chocolate Chips!

Oh - and waxed paper.

I took what I had in my kitchen - and put all this together.  Now from the get-go I will tell you - there is almost total freedom to pour and sprinkle as you choose!  There is no exact measuring.

Yet - you can count on not using all the prepared ingredients. But - that just gives you reason to go get another large back of Chocolate Chips!  Unless you sit there and munch ‘em all down while you’re totally lost in some other subconscious past life - totally unaware of what you’re doing.  If you’ve got help with that - such as the pups or the kids - that just makes it a party!

This is all about - fun!  There are no exact ingredients - beyond a Large Bag 23oz. Bag of Milk Chocolate Chips.  However - this IS NOT a recipe for Diabetics.  Sorry.

Let’s Begin!

Smear Unsalted Butter over an entire sheet of Waxed Paper covering a Large Cookie Sheet.

Hubs does not like Coconut.  I LOVE Coconut.  Rarely do I get a chance to have anything with Coconut.  I made this one of those opportunities!  There was a compromise - sprinkling a layer of Coconut on only half the waxed paper.

One box of Candy Canes that I’d rigged around a red Pillar Candle for Christmas decorating.

Peeled the cellophane off each cane and placed them into a gallon-size Ziploc bag.  Pay attention.  Carefully - and softly - crush the canes with a hammer.

Try to keep them spread out and not stacked on another - crushing them until they look about like this.

Despite being careful - be prepared.  You’ll find this under the bag.  So - don’t even lift the bag up until you’re ready for ‘em.

In a medium-size bowl - I chunked some pretzel sticks ( about 2 handfuls ) to about 1-inch size.

Most people use those dried or candied cherries in their baking.  I used these!  I drained the juice into a bowl.

Poured the juice back into the jar - and stuck it in the refrigerator. You never wanna throw this juice out!  I pour a little bit of this into my glass of Dr. Pepper!  Works in a Coke, too!

The cherries were sliced into quarters.

Here’s where it all becomes about layers.

Sprinkled a layer of the broken Pretzel Sticks.

Sprinkled a layer of the crushed Candy Canes.

Sprinkled ALL the quartered Cherries.

Now - I do not have a double-boiler.  Who needs one when you have a 3qt. Saucepan and a set of those treasures called Pyrex Mixing Bowls?!

I put about 1-inch of water in the saucepan.  As long as the bowl can rest on the saucepan without touching the water - you’re good to go!

Get the water to a boiling stage.  Turn it down to a low-medium heat. Add your Chocolate Chips to the bowl and stay with them - stirring until they’re all melted enough that you can almost pour them out of the bowl.

Gets messy here.  Smear the melted chocolate over the whole sheet - as much as you can - as quickly as you can.

Yes - you’re gonna pick stuff up.  Yes - you’re gonna get chocolate on your hands.  Just fight with it - and Git ‘er Done!

Mini Marshmallows become the final layer.

Carefully - bring both long sides of the waxed paper up to meet each other.

Gently - squish the mess into a tube - doing all you can to keep from tearing the waxed paper.

(Can you tell which end has the Coconut? )

Slowly twist the ends of the waxed paper - and tuck them under the Roll of Pure Sin!

Stick that puppy in the Refrigerator to set - for about an hour.

I saw this as soon as I closed the door on the fridge.

I did my best to keep from wasting one single chocolate chip.  Truly!

Once the roll has had time to set…

Slowly - Gently - Carefully - pull the waxed paper off the roll.

Cut it into slices with a large chopping knife.

You can go nuts with trying so many other ingredients.  But remember one rule of thumb…

Never use too many ingredients.  You have to keep the layers down to a number safe enough to allow for being able to roll the whole mess into a log - without tearing the waxed paper.

As for using plastic wrap… save your sanity.

Trust me.  Trying to use that stuff with this recipe will destroy your earned pleasure of jumping into a slice of this Certified Diet Killer!