If you are like most people, then you have your favorites when it comes to cookies. Mine is the oatmeal cookie. When it comes to potlucks, parties and desserts for the weekend nothing says comfort food and sweetness than a big batch of oatmeal cookies. At home when they are baking you can smell the cinnamon and raisins baking all through the house. In the winter, cozy up by the fireplace with some warm cider and you have yourself a treat that cannot be beat. The recipe is simple and you can add just about anything to the oatmeal cookie recipes. Try them with chocolate chips or butterscotch morsels. Chopped pecans, walnuts or even peanuts make a nice addition. I get requests to make them all the time.

Around the holidays if you do any cookie swapping, then is the time to break out your oatmeal cookie recipe. You can add apples, raisins, dried fruit and chocolate. You can’t go wrong. If you want to make them a little healthier than substitute the oil with applesauce if you pick an oatmeal cookie recipe that calls for oil. Even though oatmeal raisin cookies are the most common you will find the adults asking for the soft chewy oatmeal cookies with the chocolate chips added for that extra bite of sweetness.

They make great gifts too if you know someone is not feeling well or if you want to say congratulations to someone that has done a great job. Find some colored plastic wrap at your local supermarket and wrap some up, finish it off by tying it with some decorative ribbon. I can think of all kinds of reasons to make cookies and you will too once you taste a few of the varieties. They are so easy to make and I can’t say that enough. Let’s face it, who doesn’t keep eggs, flour, sugar and oatmeal in their house all the time? These are staple ingredients for any pantry or kitchen cabinet. If you are one to keep nuts on hand and do not have raisins then use the nuts. Another great thing about cookies in general is that you can freeze them. Whenever we decide to make some cookies, we generally make an extra batch for freezing. Once they are cool place them in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze them. They will stay fresh for months and they will be there for when the cookie monster in you needs something sweet to nibble on.

Here is the recipe for Oatmeal Cookies:

Ingredients:

3 cups regular or quick-cooking rolled oats. (not instant)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter or margarine softened
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar.
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation and Baking:

If you are going to bake two sheets of cookies at a time, then arrange the racks in your oven to divide it into thirds. For baking with one sheet at a time, put one of the oven racks in the center of the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium-size bowl, with a whisk, combine the Oats, Flour, Salt, Cinnamon and Baking soda until thoroughly mixed.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Stir in the oats mixture from step 3 gradually with a spoon or plastic spatula. The mixture will become very stiff.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls or cookie scoop onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. If you are baking with two sheets at a time, switch baking pans from top to bottom racks halfway through the cooking time. If you are baking with one sheet at a time then rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. This will ensure that the cookies cook more evenly.Once you take them out, let them cool on the baking sheet for 30 seconds before putting them on the cooking racks.

So take a look at some of the recipes at Classic Cookie Recipes.com and try a few and see which ones will be on your holiday table this year. Have the family or a friend tell you their favorite oatmeal cookie and surprise them every now and then by making them a batch.

Author Bio: Homemade cookies are the ultimate comfort food. Classic Cookie Recipes has provided all the information you will need to make these delicious bites of heaven for your cookie jar. Serious cookie lovers will find some of the tastiest cookie recipes, certain to satisfy any cookie monster’s cravings.

Category: Cooking
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