Today I am awake before the rest of the family so I can make sugar cookie dough. The kids have a gingerbread house decorating station set up on the dining room table and it seems a shame to just clean it up since it could so easily be converted into a cookie decorating station. So, time to bake!

Every year when I go to find my favorite sugar cookie recipe on AllRecipes, it takes me a good five minutes of searching and ultimately panicking before I find the recipe. I am putting an end to the panic right now. This blog is my recipe box and it is time to add this recipe card. This is not my recipe and I literally follow it to a T every year. The recipe is perfect. So, I am giving all the credit to “J. Saunders” on AllRecipes. However, it is time I posted this recipe here on the blog to prevent future heart attacks!

Also, if you want a good chocolate sugar cookie recipe, click here. And, yes, I am making both this morning.

Happy Holidays! 

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

 

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My notes are in italics below, but honestly this recipe is perfect! Originally posted on AllRecipes.

Author: J. Saunders submitted to AllRecipes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. (Jane note: for the stirring portion I just use my KitchenAid mixer on low.)
2. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). (Jane note: I divide the dough into two and form two large, thick discs, about 2" thick, and wrap them in plastic wrap to refrigerate. It helps to have wet hands when forming the discs. This makes the dough easier to work with after chilling.)
3. Preheat oven to 400º F (200º C).
4. Roll out dough on floured surface, ¼- to ½-inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
5. Place cookies 1 inch apart on un-greased cookie sheets. (Jane note: I use my silicon baking mats to bake these)
6. Bake 6 – 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

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Today I am sharing a gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe that is for everyone, not just gluten-free people. No, seriously, these cookies simply taste like awesome chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and no one would know they are gluten free just from eating them. They are also dairy free. And you also use a bit of black magic to make them so perfect sans flour and butter. But I swear this recipe is worth selling your soul to the devil for. 

Over a year ago I chose to stop eating wheat products and felt better so I stuck with it, for the most part, indulging now and again when it made sense (trip to Sweden, birthday cake, etc). Then in September I did a whole bunch of allergy testing and learned that I am actually allergic to wheat. So my optional break from wheat became a permanent one. Which, in all honesty, was a major bummer. Although, six months in and I can honestly say it’s been easier than I thought it would be. Except for a few items, I mostly don’t miss wheat products. But there are a couple foods that I really am sad I’ll never eat again, one of them being my homemade chocolate chip cookies. I spent about a decade tracking down recipes for and perfecting chocolate chip cookies. (Click here for the ultimate winning recipe in that decade-long quest.) I tried subbing in gluten-free flour in my favorite recipe, but the cookies were nowhere near as good. Not even close. I had pretty much given up hope on ever enjoying a homemade chocolate chip cookie 10-minutes-out-of-the-oven ever again. 

Then Nate’s cousin Amanda told me about a gluten-free oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe she loves in The Low FODMAP-Diet for Beginners cookbook by Mollie Tunitsky. Amanda told me this recipe would make it so I didn’t miss chocolate chip cookies anymore. I didn’t believe her. Then I tried the recipe and everyone was blown away at how good these cookies are. They just taste like awesome oatmeal cookies. IT IS THE BEST.

I have made these cookies many times since that first try. The cookies came out differently between takes, so I really worked on the recipe to make sure it would be consistent as well as have perfect texture. I credit The Low FODMAP-Diet for Beginners with introducing me to this recipe, but I have made some ingredient adjustments and modifications to the technique, which I will share in the recipe card below.

If you are dairy free, gluten free or just want to eat a really good oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, this recipe is for you. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

These gluten-free and dairy-free oatmeal cookies are amazing and taste like the real deal. Adapted from "The Low FODMAP-Diet for Beginners" by Mollie Tutnitsky

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 20-24 cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil
• ⅔ cup lightly-packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more for sprinkling (or ½ teaspoon kosher salt)
• 2¼ cup oat flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• 1¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Put coconut oil in a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl. If the oil is already a liquid, you're all set. If it's in a solid state, microwave for appx. 20 seconds to melt it. Add the brown sugar, egg and vanilla extract to the oil and mix very well.
3. Stir in the baking soda and salt.
4. Stir in the oat flour, rolled oats, and chocolate chips.
5. Place cookie dough balls on cookie sheet, leaving space between them for spreading. The dough balls should be about 2 tablespoons (medium cookie scoop size). Once you place the dough on the cookie sheet, using wet fingers gently smooth out the cookie dough balls and light press down on them, to make them all the same shape and size. They don't need to be flattened, just lightly squished a bit.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are lightly browned and look done in the centers. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt immediately after taking out of the oven, then gently drop the pan flat onto the stovetop or counter to force the cookies to settle. Let cool then enjoy!

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In the last of my cashew butter cookie recipes, I wanted to provide a completely plant-based, vegan version. My regular cashew butter cookies and molasses cashew butter cookies both use an egg. Given my new year’s resolution, I wanted to see how these cookies would do with an egg alternative. It worked and so I definitely want to share this recipe for gluten-free vegan cashew butter cookies with you.

The vegan version of these cookies come out wonderfully, but they do in fact have a different texture than the version with eggs. The cookies come out much flatter and are a little more “wet,” if you will (i.e. they stick to your fingers a little bit when you eat them). They taste awesome, however, and the texture is delicious, so if you want a plant-based alternative, these cookies are great. (See picture below comparing the two different versions of the recipe.)

In addition, if you want to add chocolate chips, go right ahead! And if you want to molasses-ize them, use the molasses cashew butter cookie recipe and sub out the 1 egg for the ground flaxseed and water, like you see in the recipe below. As with the other two cashew butter cookie recipes, these cookies are dairy free and gluten free. Enjoy!

Vegan Cashew Butter Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashew butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (or flaxseed meal)
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and hot water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
3. In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients, including the flaxseed mixture. Stir well.
4. On a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat, drop cookie dough balls, evenly spacing them like you would chocolate chip cookies. I used a medium (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop. The dough is quite wet and the scoop makes it easy to create the cookie dough balls. If you don't have a scoop, use a spoon and wet fingers to form your dough balls.
5. Bake for approximately 11-15 minutes, or until the cookies are starting to brown lightly around the edges. They will look cooked, if you know what I mean - if there is cracking, the cookies should no longer look wet inside. (See pictures as a guide.)
6. Let cool at least 10 minutes before eating.

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This week is the parade of cashew butter cookie recipes! Once I figured out how to make a really good gluten-free cashew butter cookie, I had to start experimenting. The result was the recipe below for gluten-free molasses cashew butter cookies. These cookies are wonderful. Yes, they would be perfect for the holidays, but honestly I love them any time of year, especially with a nice cup of coffee or tea.  

When I first tried turning the cashew butter cookies into something that was reminiscent of molasses cookies or gingerbread, I wasn’t 100% sure it would work. But I’m really glad I tried because cashew butter cookies proved to be an excellent base for these spicy flavors. 

Next up in the parade of cashew butter cookies will be a vegan version. And don’t forget the original recipe, which is especially tasty with chocolate chips! 

Gluten-Free Molasses Cashew Butter Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashew butter
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• Granulated Sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg then add all the other ingredients. Stir well.
3. On a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat, drop cookie dough balls, evenly spacing them like you would in other cookie recipes. I used a medium (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop. The dough is quite wet and the scoop makes it easy to create the cookie dough balls. If you don't have a scoop, use a spoon and wet fingers to form your dough balls.
4. Once the dough balls are on the cookie sheet, with wet hands, gently press each dough ball down a bit so they are a bit more disc like, rather than balls. Sprinkle each dough ball with granulated sugar, gently pressing the sugar into the dough.
5. Bake for approximately 11-15 minutes, or until the cookies look set, with some cracking. If you peek in the cracks, the cookies should no longer look wet inside. (See pictures as a guide for what they should look like.)
6. Let cool at least 10 minutes before eating.

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I’ve known I have a peanut allergy for nearly 20 years but only recently discovered I also have a wheat allergy {cue sad music}. I’ve tried making my favorite chocolate chip cookies with gluten-free flour, but they just are not the same. Last December when my daughter Cate’s cello group was out wassailing with their cellos (yes, really, and it was awesome), one of the houses served us dairy-free, gluten-free cashew butter cookies. The cookies were divine, so first thing I did the next day was start researching gluten-free cashew butter cookie recipes. 

The result of all my researching and testing is today’s recipe for gluten-free cashew butter cookies with chocolate chips. In addition to this recipe, I will also be sharing a vegan version and a molasses version. I’m basically a cashew butter cookie junkie now. 

This recipe for gluten-free cashew butter cookies has chocolate chips, but they could easily be made without the chocolate. Sans chocolate would make for a reallllly good cookie. That said, these are excellent with some chocolate thrown in. In addition, if you are like me and finding yourself allergic to peanuts but really missing peanut blossom cookies, this recipe would be a great alternative and I know “cashew blossoms” would be just as tasty as the original. Maybe more so, Nate and I find we like these cashew butter cookies than peanut butter cookies, actually. With all the great new options that gluten-free cashew butter cookies have provided, I can truly say I’m not missing wheat-based cookies any more. It’s a miracle!

And, yes, the texture is like an actual cookie. And, no, there is no flour. And yes, it’s pure magic.

Gluten-Free Cashew Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 12-16

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashew butter (other nut butters like peanut and almond would work in this recipe as well)
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅛ teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg then add all the other ingredients. Stir well.
3. On a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with a Silpat, drop cookie dough balls, evenly spacing them like you would chocolate chip cookies. I used a medium (2 tablespoon) cookie scoop. The dough is quite wet and the scoop makes it easy to create the cookie dough balls. If you don't have a scoop, use a spoon and wet fingers to form your dough balls.
4. Once the dough balls are on the cookie sheet, with wet hands, gently press each dough ball down a bit so they are a bit more disc like, rather than balls. This will make for a nicer shaped cookie in the end, although this step is not critical to the success of the recipe.
5. Bake for approximately 11-15 minutes, or until the cookies are starting to brown lightly around the edges. They will look cooked, if you know what I mean - if there is cracking, the cookies should no longer look wet inside. (See pictures as a guide.)
6. Let cool at least 10 minutes before eating.

Notes

To make "Cashew Blossoms" (a peanut-free alternative to Peanut Blossoms), Once you place the dough balls on the cookie sheet and press them down a bit, sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake as directed. When the cookies come out of the oven, press a Hershey kiss into the center of each cookie.

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Today is This Week for Dinner‘s 11th birthday! How is that even possible? ELEVEN YEARS. Pretty soon my blog will be a teenager, which means I need to enjoy these last moments before it starts talking back and asking for a phone and stuff.

I pretty much celebrate every blog birthday with chocolate. Last night I remembered a cookie recipe from my pre-blog days that my mother-in-law Pat gave to me. I decided to pull out my old recipe box, dig through the cards and find it. I made the cookies and everyone in the family loved them. The main difference with this recipe is that you blend the oatmeal before adding it to the dough, giving the cookies the flavor of oatmeal with a different texture than what you’re used to with oatmeal cookies, a texture that we all love.

And, yes, I am sharing yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe. I know, I know, how many versions can one blog hold? Apparently a lot.

You may notice from the photos that I used Guittard’s chocolate wafers as opposed to chips. Wafers or chips both work fabulously in this recipe, but I do love the layered effect that the wafers give to the final cookie. However, if you don’t have chocolate wafers on hand, good ol’ fashioned chocolate chips are just as delicious!

Happy birthday, Blog! And happy baking, everyone!

Blended Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Modified from a very old Mrs. Fields' recipe that my mother-in-law shared with me many moons ago. I have altered the recipe in several ways, but the oatmeal trick definitely came from Mrs. Fields!

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 2½ cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 12-18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or wafers (12 ounces is a normal amount; 18 ounces is if you really like chocolate!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.
2. In a stand mixer or large bowl using a hand blender, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes.
3. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat another 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
4. In a blender, blend the oats until it resembles a very coarse flour.
5. Add oats to cookie dough and blend on low until just combined.
6. Add flour and blend on low until just combined.
7. Stir in chocolate.
8. Form dough into balls (approximately 2 tablespoons per ball). Place on ungreased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper (I use a Silpat). Press down gently on the dough balls to flatten them a bit. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until bottom edges are a golden brown.
9. Dough balls may be frozen. Add a few minutes to cooking time if baking from frozen.

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Guess what? I have another fun Mother’s Day post for you, complete with an easy, delicious recipe and an equally delicious giveaway!

Each year I create a post in conjunction with Fair Trade USA to celebrate Mother’s Day and this year is no exception! As usual they sent me a box of goodies (which we will be giving away to one of you lucky people in just a moment) to inspire a Mother’s Day baking project.

This month has been super busy and as Mother’s Day has approached I haven’t had a lot of time to bake. Normally when Fair Trade sends me a box of goodies they include a baking mix from Immaculate Baking Company. I haven’t ever used the mixes in my posts because I normally create my Fair Trade recipes from scratch. This time, however, I decided to embrace the ease of the cookie mix, adding a fun twist to make it special.

First off, the Immaculate Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix is so, so, so good. Whether or not you add my fudgy thumbprint you’ll be happy with this mix. But the fudgy addition really takes these cookies over the top. Today’s recipe kind of had a longer journey than most of my recipes. First I tried to make cookie cups with a fudgy center but it just didn’t work practically or visually, but they tasted amazing. So then I tried stuffing the cookies, which worked pretty well but not exactly what I envisioned. So then I tried a thumbprint and it worked! The fudgy “button” goes so beautifully with these cookies and you will love them, especially since it’s so easy to throw this dessert together! 

The most wonderful part of this recipe is that using Fair Trade ingredients means you can celebrate strong women and mothers throughout the world by supporting their livelihood. I’ve read so many stories about how Fair Trade helps women in so many countries and I love it when I can incorporate as many fair trade ingredients as possible into my recipes. The infographic above is a great summary of why Fair Trade is so cool! For today’s recipe I used the Immaculate Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix as well as Guittard’s Extra Dark Chocolate Chips, so it’s a Fair Trade double whammy! The recipe is below…but first…

The giveaway! Fair Trade will send one of you lucky people the same gift box I received, which includes product from the following companies:

• Wholesome Sweet
• Kashi
• Chuao Chocolatier
• Guittard
• Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle
• Frontier Co-Op
• Numi Tea
• Immaculate Baking Company
• Spectrum
• SunRidge Farms

To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is a leave a comment on this post before Midnight PT on 3/25/17! That’s it! Easy peasy…as easy as today’s recipe, which I will give to you now! The randomly-selected winner of this giveaway was Comment #24 Michele. Congratulations, Michele!

Fudgy Thumbprint Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

A fair trade-friendly recipe that is easy and delicious!

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 22 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 Immaculate Baking Company Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (Guittard is my favorite and they are Fair Trade!)
• ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (or 350º for a dark non-stick pan).
2. Follow directions to mix the dough for the cookie mix.
3. Once dough is mixed, put chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cook on high in the microwave for 45 seconds, then stir until all chocolate has melted.
4. Let chocolate mix cool for a few minutes. While the chocolate is cooling, create 1-tablespoon rounded cookie dough balls. With your thumb press a well in the center of each cookie dough ball, then place ½ teaspoon blobs of the chocolate fudgy filling in the center. If the chocolate is sticking to your fingers a lot, just get your fingers a little bit wet with water. Keep in mind, the shape of the chocolate will look how it looks after baking as it did before, so if you want the chocolate nice and smooth, smooth it out before baking!
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Let cool before eating.

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner, which means two things for me. First, I am planning on not cooking this Sunday, or even parenting much at all (that’s how I like my Mother’s Day, nice and lazy). Second, I’m teaming up with Fair Trade USA once again to celebrate the amazing women farmers of fair trade! I think this might be my 4th Fair Trade Mother’s Day recipe and giveaway…I’ve lost track! Anyway, since it’s not Mother’s Day quite yet, I am still in the kitchen and today I’ve cooked up a batch of double chocolate coconut cookies that I am certain you will love.

But before we get to the recipe we need to meet a farmer. And do a giveaway, which includes tons of awesome fair trade goodies. Let’s go!

This year Fair Trade is focusing on the women of fair trade through their #FairHer campaign. Like ONE, another non-profit organization I work with frequently, Fair Trade recognizes how important it is to help women in order to tackle poverty. In fact, you can’t tackle poverty without focusing on women. And the work Fair Trade does empowers women in many ways, especially given that women produce more than 50% of the world’s food (ummmm…btw…they only own 2% of the land).

To make this all a little more real, I’d like you to meet one of those women farmers, Virginia Jimenez, a sugar cane farmer & member of the CORA Cooperative, a Fair Trade Certified organic sugar producer in Paraguay. Gimenez has been involved with sugar cane all her life, as both her father and late husband were sugar cane producers. Her late husband, Mario Miranda, joined CORA in 2010 and died a year later. Gimenez, a mother of four, has taken over as the CORA-affiliated producer.

Here are a few of Virginia’s thoughts: “For us, the access to machinery that CORA provides is key for our annual production [note: according to CORA, they are able to lend the use of machinery at low or no cost by using some of the Fair Trade premium fund]. I also like the ideals behind CORA. Their strict rules are good for our society. For example, the controls regarding the use of child labor is very good. The safety workshops have also been great help. And the idea of producing organic sugar cane without chemicals is very important. My husband believed strongly in this. If we were able to increase our earnings, whether from sales or from the premium fund, I would like to see our health services improved. We do not have medical attention here on a daily basis. If a poisonous snake bites someone, we have to go really far.”

So, keep an eye out for that fair trade symbol on the food you buy. It’s helping wonderful women like Virginia. A sincere thank you to Virginia for sharing her story and thoughts with us!

I mentioned a giveaway, didn’t I? Fair Trade USA sent me a package of goodies to provide inspiration for today’s recipe, and one of you lucky people will receive the same package! It just might be their best one yet. Click here to read about all of the products included!

Here’s how to enter the giveaway! (Comments must be posted by Midnight PT 5/11/16):

• Simply leave a comment on this post! That’s it!
• Bonus entry: Follow Fair Trade Certified on Facebook (leave a separate comment for bonus entry, if you already follow just let us know!)
• Bonus entry: Join the This Week for Dinner email newsletter list! (leave a separate comment for bonus entry, if you already subscribe just let us know!)

I think it’s time to get cooking with all these yummy fair trade ingredients!

Today’s cookies may not be fancy but they are pretty much perfect. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, these chocolate cookies are filled with dark chocolate and coconut, one of my favorite flavor combinations. And there are so many ingredients in these cookies that can go fair trade, from the sugar to the vanilla to the chocolate! For this batch I used Guittard’s organic semisweet chocolate baking wafers, which are my favorite chocolate chips to use in any cookie recipe. I also used Lake Champlain’s organic unsweetened cocoa, another fabulous chocolate source that I can’t get enough of.

Enjoy! And Happy Mother’s Day!

Double Chocolate Coconut Cookies

 

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Prep time

12 mins

Cook time

14 mins

Total time

26 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1½ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Generous ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut (I love wide sliced)
• 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (I love Guittard's baking wafers)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, mix together the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for approximately 5 minutes. (Yes, 5 MINUTES...you want it to mix for a long time.)
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed for another 2-3 minutes.
4. Place a sifter over the bowl and add the salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour and cocoa powder to the sifter, then sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix on low until just mixed.
5. Add coconut and chocolate chips and mix with a large spoon until evenly distributed.
6. Place dough in 2-tablespoon dough balls on a cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie.
7. Bake for about 12-14 minutes. The cookies shouldn't look wet beneath the surface (if that makes sense).
8. When you take them out of the oven, drop the pan flat onto the counter or stovetop to force the cookies to settle.
9. Let cool a few minutes before eating. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Dough balls can also be frozen and cookies cooked from a frozen state, you just may need to add 1 or 2 minutes to the cook time.

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Brace yourselves. Today I am giving you the best oatmeal cookie recipe ever. Well, the best chocolate chip M&M oatmeal cookie recipe ever. No, really. I haven’t met a cookie this addictive in quite some time. I even made myself sick to my stomach a few weeks ago eating too many, like a 6-year-old the day after Halloween. Not one of my finer moments. But I digress…

Back to the cookies. These cookies are delicious, with wonderful flavor and texture. Additionally, these cookies are made with oil instead of butter. The original recipe says you can use coconut oil or olive oil. I have made them with half olive oil half coconut oil, and I’ve also made them with just coconut oil. I prefer the 100% coconut oil version. If you decide to use olive oil, I would recommend regular olive oil instead of extra virgin as extra virgin olive oil has more olive flavor.

Okay, so, the recipe. I begged this recipe off of my girls’ piano teacher, Jody. She has no idea where she got it from, so we just call them Jody’s Oatmeal Cookies. If I ever track down the source, I’ll be sure to let you know! For now Jody gets credit for bringing these beauties into our lives.

Jody's Oatmeal Cookies

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

12 mins

Total time

22 mins

 

These Chocolate Chip M&M Oatmeal Cookies are some of the most addictive cookies I've ever eaten. You've been warned.

Author: Jane Maynard

Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 2½ cups old fashioned oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup melted coconut oil (if your coconut oil is already liquid at room temp, you're all set. if it is solid, a few seconds in the microwave will melt it enough)
• 2 large eggs
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cups chocolate chips
• 1¼ cups plain M&Ms
• (I supposed you could do 2 cups of raisins instead of chocolate chips and M&Ms, but I'm a chocolate girl. If you go with raisins, add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the dough)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Add the salt and baking soda and stir well. Add the oats, flour and both sugars and mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated together. The dough might be crumbly. (Add a teeny bit of oil of needed - I have not ever added any extra oil myself). Alternatively you can mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips and M&Ms in a large bowl all at once, but I find adding the ingredients in the order listed above makes it easier to mix the ingredients together evenly.
3. Mix in the chocolate chips and M&Ms.
4. Form cookie dough balls about 2 tablespoons in size and place on cookie sheet. The dough is tricky to work with, just be patient! Use your hands to really squeeze the dough into a ball. You may have to tuck the M&Ms and chocolate chips inside and underneath the cookie to get it to hold together on the tray.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies begin to lightly brown on top but don't overcook.
6. Cook all the dough into cookies as the cookie dough balls don't hold together well for freezing and dough is easier to work with when it is just made. Store baked cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

The original recipe says you can use coconut oil or olive oil. I have made them with half olive oil half coconut oil, and I've also made them with just coconut oil. I prefer the 100% coconut oil version. If you decide to use olive oil, I would recommend regular olive oil instead of extra virgin as extra virgin olive oil has more olive flavor.

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The giveaway in this post is now closed, but keep reading to find out about some really cute Christmas dishes and to get the shortbread recipe!

This post is sponsored by Q Squared NYC. As always, all opinions are 100% my own, including the opinion that these cookies are awesome.

I am so happy it’s the holiday season! Well, I mean, now I am, after my annual early-December freak out last night over the stress that this month brings (my busiest work month, two birthdays and Christmas all wrapped up into one not-so-calm package). But now, with the freak out officially behind me, I am ready to dive into present wrapping and cookie baking!

I started the whole holiday baking shebang with these chocolate-dipped peppermint shortbread cookies. I’m a sucker for shortbread. No, really, I kind of can’t control myself around the stuff. I decided to give my favorite shortbread recipe a holiday twist by incorporating chocolate and peppermint. The twist worked beautifully. And now there are about 30 ridiculously-adorable and delicious cookies taunting me in my kitchen.

These cookies are peppermint perfection. Even though there is peppermint in every element of the cookie, the peppermint flavor is not overpowering. The shortbread, which has just a hint of peppermint, is then dipped in high-quality dark chocolate, also sporting that peppermint hint. Top it all off with crunchy peppermint pieces and you’ve got yourself a COOKIE, filled with flavors and textures that work together oh so nicely. And they look crazy cute!

In addition to these lovely cookies, I have some lovely dishes to share with you today, too! You all know how much I love Q Squared. Well, I love them even more now that their holiday dishes are out! When I put in my order for the Winter’s Eve collection, I knew the dishes would be cute but I was not prepared for how much I would love them once I saw the dishes in person. Serious love, people.

Today we are giving away a complete set of the Winter’s Eve collection from Q Squared! One randomly-selected winner will receive 1 large platter, 1 serving bowl, 6 dinner plates, 6 tapas plates and 1 coaster set. To enter, please do the following by midnight PT on Tuesday December 9, 2014 (prize must be shipped to a US address):

• Leave a comment on this post! Easy Peasy!
• Bonus entry: Like me on Instagram! (You need to leave a separate comment telling us you liked! If you previously liked, it still counts but be sure to leave the extra comment!)
• Bonus entry: Like Q Squared on Instagram! (You need to leave a separate comment telling us you liked! If you previously liked, it still counts but be sure to leave the extra comment!)
• Bonus entry: Like This Week for Dinner on Facebook! (You need to leave a separate comment telling us you liked! If you previously liked, it still counts but be sure to leave the extra comment!)
• Bonus entry: Like Q Squared on Facebook! (You need to leave a separate comment telling us you liked! If you previously liked, it still counts but be sure to leave the extra comment!)

Good luck with the giveaway – I wish you could all win!

And now for the recipe!

Chocolate-Dipped Peppermint Shortbread

 

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Delicious chocolate-dipped shortbread with just the right amount of peppermint.

Author: Jane Maynard

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 25-30

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
• Pinch kosher salt
• ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract, divided into ½ and ¼ teaspoons
• 1 cup high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• ¼ cup broken peppermint pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar and ½ teaspoon peppermint extract together on medium-high speed in a stand mixer for about 3 minutes with the paddle attachment. Scrape down bowl.
3. Add 1½ cups of the flour and a pinch of salt. Beat with paddle attachment on medium speed until fully incorporated.
4. Set aside the paddle attachment and switch to the dough hook.
5. Add the rest of the flour (3/4 cup) and mix on medium-low speed with the dough hook, kneading the dough in the mixer for about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
6. Roll dough out on a floured surface to about ½-inch thick. Using a ~2-inch sized cookie cutter, cut cookies and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Prick the tops of the cookies with a fork.
7. Form leftover dough into a ball and roll back out to ½-inch thick and repeat process until you've cut all the dough into cookies.
8. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until bottoms of cookies are light golden brown. (The time will vary depending on how thick you actually rolled out the dough. The thinner the cookie, the less cook time.)
9. When cookies have cooled completely, in a small microwave-safe bowl cook chocolate chips and coconut oil on high for 1 minute. Remove from microwave and stir well until all chocolate has melted.
10. Add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and stir well.
11. Dip each cookie partially into the chocolate then set on a cooling rack to let chocolate harden. Sprinkle with peppermint pieces immediately after dipping cookie.
12. Place cookies in fridge to harden the chocolate, around 30-60 minutes. When the cookies return to room temperature, the chocolate will soften a smidge. The chocolate will be hard enough so that the cookies will be pretty and stackable (for packaging and giving!) but just soft enough that it's easy to bite through when eating the cookie. Store extras in the fridge.
13. You will have extra melted chocolate. I like to have extra so it's easier for dipping. Just pour it over a bowl of ice cream or spread it on a silicone baking mat, sprinkle with peppermint pieces and put in the fridge for a quick peppermint bark. You need to put that chocolate to use!

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