Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Walnuts & Coconut

Long name-DELICIOUS cookie! I had the day off today, but felt totally unproductive and completely frustrated with some school registration issues, so this is how I relaxed myself! Bummer that the way to make myself feel better is to bake yummy (yet way fattening!) sweets! Oh well, that will motivate me even more to continue my intense daily workouts with Tony! Totally unrelated to these cookies OR cooking, but if you want to get in shape, P90X is the way to go! I can barely walk from yesterdays workout, but it feels so good to be so sore! --Back to the subject-- These cookies contain part of all my favorites, chocolate chips, oatmeal, nuts, coconut....sheer perfection! Try these now!!

Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts and Coconut

Apple a Day

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter, slightly softened ***
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. buttermilk (or regular milk)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 c. unbleached flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 c. rolled oats
• 8 oz. chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. chopped walnuts
• 3/4 c. sweetened, shredded coconut

***I used 1/2 c. shortening, 1/2 c. butter. I learned the trick from my aunt and it makes such moist and yummy cookies!

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and buttermilk.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Mix into the butter mixture.
• Mix in the oats, chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut.
• Drop by tablespoons on a prepared baking sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes (or 6, if you like half-way doughy cookies like me!)
• Cool on a wire rack.
• ENJOY!

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

We're still not all the way moved into the new house yet, and finding time to cook is nearly impossible! I decided that we needed a tasty treat to snack on while we work on the house, so this is what I managed to make! The verdict: Tony rated them a 9 out of 10, but they weren't that amazing to me. I think I'm more a chocolate girl when it comes to my cookies and dessert. Don't get me wrong, I still thought they were really good and I enjoyed my fair share of them! I just don't have a love for baked goods with bananas like Tony does!

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. margarine
• 1 egg
• 1 c. banana
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 3/4 c. oatmeal
• 1 1/2 c. flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. nuts (optional-I left out this time!)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare baking sheet
• Cream together sugar and margarine.
• Add in eggs, bananas, and vanilla until well incorporated.
• Mix dry ingredients in a small mixing bowl, then stir into sugar mixture.
• Stir in oatmeal, and nuts if using.
• Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until slightly golden.

Coconut Thumbprints

When I saw these cookies on this awesome blog, I knew I had to try them. I love coconut, and cookies..ahem..who doesn't?! Well they did not disappoint! I loved that the coconut was subtle, it had a "barely there" flavor, but it was perfect! These cookies would be delicious with any kind of jam, I am dying to make them again so I can try new flavors! I have to say, these were a nice change from the same old 'chocolate chips in my cookies routine.' Tony liked them, not loved. But he is not a dessert person. Unless you count Ding Dongs, Twinkies, and Zebra Cakes...why can't I ever make something good enough to top something out of the box?! Silly guy... :)

Coconut Thumbprints

With a Cherry on Top

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 3/4 c. shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Jam (any flavor! I used Strawberry)
  

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, process the coconut with a few pulses to chop it up a bit.


2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add in the coconut and mix well.


3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. (About 2 or 3 minutes) Add in the egg yolk and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating on low, until it is incorporated into the cream mixture.


4. Using hands, form the dough into a ball and place back in the bowl, covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


5. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and bake on prepared baking sheet for 14 minutes. Remove from the oven, and using your thumb or the back of a melon baller, make a dent in each cookie. Fill each dent with jam, then place back into the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes.


6. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Chubby Hubby Cookies

Mm..MM...MMMMMM! Why have I never made these before?! Oh, thats right! Because I eat half a pan of these delicacies right out of the oven!! These babies are irrestistable!!! It mixes my favorite combination; salty and sweet, to make one of my new favorite cookies!! I am so full, yet I can't keep the cookies in my line of vision or I will HAVE to get up and eat one....which is why my laptop is now in my room. :) Seriously-so good. Without further ado...

Chubby Hubby Cookies

About.com; adapted by Joelen, What's Cookin' Chicago?

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c. butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. firmly-packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 c. chocolate chips
• 3/4 c. peanut butter chips**
• 1/2 c. crushed and processed pretzel sticks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Sift flour and baking soda together. Beat into batter on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and crushed pretzels.

Drop using a small scoop onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 11-14 minutes (I baked mine for 8) until golden on the bottom and just set in the middle. Cool on wire racks.

**I didn't have any peanut butter chips, but I added about 1/4 c. peanut butter and it turned out AMAZING! I plan on subing the chips for the actual peanut butter everytime now, so moist and delicious!!

The Chewy (AKA-the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie!!)

The first time I made this recipe, I thought I died and went to heaven. Soooo delicious. Tony and I both agreed that this was THE best chocolate chip cookie we had ever had the pleasure of tasting, hands down! The second time I made them with a friend (it must have been her fault...jk!) it didn't turn out nearly so good. They looked excellent, but the taste wasn't near as good. I still hold this as my VERY favorite recipe for chocolate chips and this just gives me a great excuse to make them again :)

The Chewy

Alton Brown

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 c. bread flour
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp. milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Carrot Cookies

I have a love-hate relationship with this cookie. I love it so so much, but I also hate it because when I make them, I am uncontrollable with eating all of them....ahh! Seriously-one of the only, no-THE ONLY cookie I could eat a whole batch of. And I probably would too. Seriously, don't let the name OR the picture trick you. This is by far the best cookie thats ever graced my taste buds. Mmmmm...try it. You'll thank me later. :)

Carrot Cookies

Steve Blood

Ingredients:

• 2 c. shortening
• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 c. grated carrots
• 3 eggs

Cream all of the above together.

Add:

• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 4-5 c. flour

Mix together and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. (I baked mine for 10 and they were still a little too crispy on the bottom for my taste!)

Frosting: (This is what MAKES the cookie!!!)

• 6 c. powdered sugar (Mix in 2 at a time)
• 3 tsp. frozen orange juice
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1/2 c. soft butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2-3 tsp. grated orange peel

(This makes a lot of frosting, but the cookies seriously taste so much better when loaded with frosting! If you really aren't a huge frosting fan, cut the ingredients in half)

Now go make them, now! ENJOY!