Everything Cookies

So I've definitely talked about these cookies before and previously posted them before here. However, I somehow missed posting the recipe way back then and finally decided that it was time to share this magical cookie. I got this recipe from my aunt on a little recipe card that looks like it's been used and abused because it's been through so much in the kitchen. It has a vanilla drop in one corner, grease from a cookie dough crumb that fell on it years ago, and smudges here and there. You can always tell the best cookie recipes just by a simple glance at the condition of the recipe card.

My aunt has been making this cookie for years. It's my dad's personal favorite cookie and it's the one that he requests the most. They're called everything cookies because it really does have everything in it. There is usually coconut included in the batter, but I couldn't find any on hand to include with this batch so I omitted it. But of course, the moment my dad took one bite out of the cookie, he immediately noticed something was wrong-- no coconut! Nothing gets by him.. especially after he's been eating this cookie for numerous years. Shucks.

The cookie itself has a crumbly texture and tends to fall apart while melting in your mouth. Every add-in is essential for this cookie and I wouldn't leave anything out of it. It's different from other cookies because it involves the use of vegetable oil on top of butter. Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you, they're really easy and worth every minute to make!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar (unpacked)
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup quick quaker oats
• 1 cup corn flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and both sugars. Add oil, mix. Add egg, mix.
4. Add oatmeal then add dry ingredients to mixture. Blend well. Add coconut flakes, nuts, corn flakes, and vanilla.
5. Drop by spoonfuls, press slightly with a fork.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until brown.
   

** this recipe makes 4 dozen cookies, so feel free to cut it in half!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I feel like my life is on fast forward right now. It's already the end of January and it feels like yesterday was just New Years Eve. Ahhhh, I can tell this year is going to fly by! I've been so occupied with my job and school work. Speaking of which, I totally forgot how much work school is and how big of a procrastinator I am. Note to self: Don't keep things for the last minute. I really need to get back into a daily routine.

How's everyone feeling about this storm that's been hitting us this past week? I absolutely love it! The sound of rain bouncing off the tin roof of my tool shed is a harmonious sound that will surely put me to sleep. The only downside of this storm is all the accidents that it's caused. Please be safe driving, guys!

I'll be heading to the Magic Castle for my third time tomorrow and am completely stoked. I've always been a sucker for magic and tricks. If you haven't been there before, you definitely need to find a way to get in! It's amazing!

This recipe comes from Kar in the Kitchen, but I adapted it by omitting the shortening. I was never a fan of that stuff-- I say, use butter whenever you can! This cookie was chewy and flavorful, but maybe a tad too sweet. I also don't really care for oatmeal in my cookies, but if are one that can't do without oatmeal, then give it a shot! This is also a very versatile recipe and you can add or swap whatever add-ins you'd like... dried cranberries, white chocolate instead of the milk chocolate, a bit of toffee... the possibilities are endless!

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 generous teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 cups chocolate chips
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together and set aside. Beat butter and sugars until very fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well incorporated. Add half dry ingredients, mix until incorporated, then repeat. Stir in oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Drop cookies onto cookie sheet using two spoons or a scoop and bake 9-12 minutes, depending on how done you like them. I prefer to take the cookies out around the 9 minute mark (they will look underdone) and let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet out of the oven.

And the answer is..

I love how creative everyone was with their answers! I couldn't possibly just pick one so I used random.org to choose a commenter. Sure enough, it choose #27, with anonymous saying,

"yum! i'm going to guess dog, butterfly, cat, fish
-dom"

Unfortunately, I don't have a way to contact Dom.. so if you're reading this please contact me at kim@lovintheoven.com so I can send you some cookie cutters from Ann Clark Ltd, an amazing cookie cutter company! (Hopefully you're in the states cause I can only ship within the US) Getting to the point to reveal what they were, this one's a dog:

Then you have a butterfly:

And then a fish:

And last but not least, a cat!

Seriously, some of your answers were so cute.. I mean, hello kitty, prince frog, & bolt?! I love that! I've been living off rice crispy treats for the past two weeks while my blog has been inactive. Hey, a girl's gotta eat her sweets somehow.. right? It's funny how when I stop posting, I get more emails and comments than when I was active! You guys are all so great and motivate me to update more often. Thanks for the support!!

My schedule has been kicking my butt as of late, but don't worry.. I did bake cookies last night and already have a post in queue!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I just wanted to take the time to thank each and every one of you guys for coming by and supporting my blog all year long (even when I seemed to fall off the face of the planet at times). I would be no where without you guys and can't believe I'm already over 300 followers!

I know, I know.. I didn't get to finish my 12 days of cookies. :( Life seemed to catch up with me in more ways than one. I'll actually be starting school on.. MONDAY! Eek! And not at CSUN, that wretched school, but at a private school called National University! They have a better program for me that allows me to get my Masters in Education AND my teaching credential at the same time. The only downside is that it is a bit more expensive since it is a private school and I'll be paying for half since my parents can't pay it all.

With that being said, I'm afraid I won't have the necessary funds to update my blog as much as I did. Baking is not a cheap hobby with all the ingredients I have to buy. Before, I didn't have to worry about money and could spend it freely on a pound of macadamia nuts and good quality chocolate. Now, 3 out of 4 of my paychecks will be going toward school, while the other paycheck will go toward gas/food/entertainment. :( I guess welcome to the real world, right? It sucks!

Anyways, I added a donation button on the left side of my blog if you guys feel so inclined to help out to keep my blog running. I promise that all the money donated will go directly to my blog and for creating new goodies for you guys to see/try out! I truly love baking and will do my best to update as much as I can.

Moving on.. I was craving something quick and easy and ended up making rice crispy treats. I spruced them up by using cookie cutters to cut out some shapes. Cookie cutters are always a good idea for just about anything. Can you guess what each one is? My boyfriend guessed 3/4. Special little surprise goes to the one who guesses all of them correctly! I'll reveal what they really are in the next post. :)