Sugar and Spice...

Once again I have fallen of the blogging train. Yes, I am fully aware it has been almost a month since my last post. But good readers, I have a very good excuse. I got engaged a couple of weeks ago to the bf and it has been a whirlwind of visiting venues and wedding cakes and sugar plums and dancing fairies and rainbows and unicorns. Err, maybe not exactly like that but we've been busy planning the wedding of our dreams! Very exciting, very stressful, very unproductive for this little blog of mine.

I decided to no longer neglect my blog when a friend of mine asked for an easy cookie recipe to share with friends. I have a few recipes that I think are really good, and when he said he was looking for oatmeal or chocolate chip cookes I thought of a recipe that was given to me by my grandmother. My grandfather's favorite cookies are oatmeal. Not just oatmeal cookies, BURNT oatmeal cookies. He can't get enough of them. Or maybe he likes 'em burnt just so he doesn't have to share....When my grandma decided to change it up and use a different recipe (not sure where it came from), I asked her to leave some normal ones for us to try. They were fantastic!! I couldn't get enough. The cool thing with these is you can mix in pretty much any kind of "whatever" you want to throw in there. (See suggestions at the bottom) So we'll call them "Everything Cookies". Yes, it's kind of a lot of ingredients, but you throw it all together in three parts, anyone can handle it, I promise! It always helps when you have a willing party to measure everything out for you, too. (And someone to do the dishes!)

As for beer pairing, these would be PHENOMENAL with a stout, I would highly recommend Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout. I don't think I could recommend a better pairing. I know it's only 7am, but if you put a pint of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal stout and a plate of these cookies in front of me right now, I simply would not be able to stop myself!! Without further ado, the recipe:

"Everything Cookies"
(NOTE: 1T = 1 Tablespoon, 1t = 1 teaspoon!)
*"Wet" ingredients*
1/2 c vegetable shortening (like Crisco)                     1/2 c butter, room temperature
1 c sugar                                                                  1 c brown sugar
1 T vanilla                                                                2 eggs
*Cream these 6 ingredients together until pale in color

*Dry ingredients*
1 t baking soda                                                        1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt                                                                  2 c flour
*Mix the next 4 ingredients in a bowl separate from the mixture above. Gradually add to the "wet" mixture above until combined.

1 c coconut (optional)                                              2 c crispy rice cereal
2 c oatmeal                                                              2 c chocolate chips (optional)
Mix in the cereal and oatmeal. The coconut and chocolate chips are optional.

Using a spoon sized amount of dough, place on a slightly greased cookie sheet (hello cooking spray, you are my friend). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Happy eating!

***Mix-in Suggestions***
Raisins
Dried fruit (I like apples particularly)
A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg or apple pie spice to make a more traditional oatmeal cookie
Nuts
White chocolate
Orange or lemon zest

OR you could add a glaze (which I haven't done but I think it would be awesome):
Maple
Maple cinnamon
Vanilla... The possibilities are endless!