Heidi's Chocolate Oat Cookies

Well, my dear nieces and nephews. I’m long over due in giving you a recipe for something yummy. Time to change that.

The kitchen has been the center of much painting, unpacking, washing and organizing. Not a whole lot of cooking going on. However, in celebration of finding the baking sheets and pots, I whipped up a batch of Chocolate Oat Cookies. Actually, these are not cookies in the truest sense. They are more like fudge candies with oats added in. Whatever they are, they were immensely popular years ago. Now, my dear nieces and nephews can rediscover an easy-to-make retro treat.

This recipe was given to me by childhood friend, Heidi. In fact, I call them Heidi Cookies. Heidi and I were best friends in fifth grade. We had a terrible fight (probably over a boy. It always is.) We stopped being friends and have never seen each other since. Every time I make these cookies, I wish we could find each other again and rekindle our friendship. So, Heidi, I hope you are out there and I’m sorry.

Love,

Aunt Sally

Heidi's Chocolate Oat Cookies

CHOCOLATE OAT COOKIES

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa (1 ounce)

1 stick butter (½ cup) (or cholesterol-lowering margarine)

½ cup milk

(½ cup peanut butter) (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups oats

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cocoa. Stir well to combine. Add butter and milk. Over medium heat, bring to soft boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add peanut butter (if using) and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add oats.

Spoon out quickly onto wax paper, parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheets. Cookies will harden as they set.

Handy Hints:

I use skim milk and cholesterol-reducing margarine so I can at least believe they are healthy-ish. Don’t use lower calorie margarine, since it contains too much liquid.

Cholesterol-lowering spread

Use a buttered disher (ice cream scoop) to make even sized cookies. I used a number 100 size, available at restaurant supply stores. 

Since these do not bake, you can use waxed paper instead of parchment. Much cheaper!!

I prefer them without peanut butter, yet both option are quite good.  The peanut butter will not melt completely.

Peanut butter melted in

Whisk the sugar and cocoa together first. It helps the cocoa mix in better. 

Whisk Sugar & Cocoa

One Cookie Dough - Endless Possibilities

From one simple  batch of cookie dough, you can make an endless variety of cookies.  This recipe easily doubles.  For each of the add-ins listed below, use one half of the single recipe or one fourth of the double recipe.

Basic Creamed Dough

(Adapted from The Good Cook)

Makes about 1 ½ pounds, or about 40 cookies)

Single Recipe
14 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt

Double Recipe
28 tablespoons
2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt


In bowl of electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the beaten egg.  Sift together the flour, baking powder.  Add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined. 

Add in suggested ingredients.  Bake in a preheated 375º oven for about 10 minutes or until firm and golden brown.  Remove from the pan onto cooling rack and cool completely.

Variations:

(For single batch)
Chocolate Dough: Substitute ½ cup cocoa powder for ¼ cup flour.

Rich dough (suitable for piping): add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 egg yolk.

Swirls: Make one batch plain, one batch chocolate.  Roll flat. Top Plain with chocolate and roll jellyroll fashion. Slice. 

Additions:
To ½ single batch or ¼ double batch add:

½ cup nuts, candied fruit, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts, toffee bits (everyone’s favorite), or dried cranberries.

Roll into balls and make jam thumbprints or add chocolate kiss.

Add 1 tablespoon bourbon or other liquor.

Replace extract with rose water, orange extract, lemon extract, etc.

Glaze cookies with royal icing tinted and flavored (pink color with rose water; green color with mint, etc.)

Add 1 teaspoon spice (apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cardamom, etc.)

Pipe in cookie press.

Dip in chocolate.
Roll in nuts.

Let your imagination go!

Suggestions:

Make a double batch, set aside. Make second chocolate batch in same mixer, so you won’t dirty it twice.