Bake-a-thon 2011: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

I love cranberries.  I love chocolate.  So what could be better than pairing the two together?  It also helped that I had plenty of oatmeal that needed using, and a bag of Craisins to throw in (all in line with my goal of using ingredients I already have).

I hade very high hopes for this recipe. I mean I got it straight from Ocean Spray (and who knows more about Cranberries?).  Sadly, they did not turn out as I had expected.

The flavour of the cookie itself is very dry and bland (not enough sugar for my taste).  The cookie dough did not flatten out at all, so the cookies themselves are fairly dry hard balls of dough.  The cranberries and white chocolate help with the flavour, but not enough to make up for the lackluster dough.

Personally, I like the concept and am willing to give it another try, but probably using an oatmeal cookie recipe I know and love, and just adding the white chocolate and Craisins.

Well, despite the failure, here is the recipe.

OATMEAL CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES 

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.


Since I was less than impressed with the cookie dough from Ocean Spray's recipe, I would definitely use another one.  The cookies need to be a little softer, and sweeter (plus a splash of vanilla or almond flavouring couldn't hurt).  Here is the alternative oatmeal cookie recipe that I would use, but using any normal oatmeal cookie recipe you like is perfectly fine.

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, cream together white sugar, butter, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda,and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. If you are using nuts or raisins, mix into dough, combining well. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approx. 36-60 cookies, depending on how large or small you make them.


Here are some other tips:

1. You can also consider adding in some chopped walnuts or almonds.  Besides an additional flavour, the nuts will add a little crunch.
2. Craisins come in many flavours.  I personally used the Cherry flavoured Craisins, but you can also get Plain, Orange, Pomegranate, and Blueberry.
3. If you aren't in to white chocolate, milk or semi-sweet chocolate are reasonable alternatives.  This will change the overall flavour of the cookie, but both are quite compatible with the cranberries.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

I have a lot of peanut butter and jelly/jam in storage that needs to get used up, and I needed an idea. Someone told me about jam thumbprint cookies, so I tried a combo recipe. I used my regular peanut butter cookie recipe and then just added a few things.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 Cup shortening
1 Cup Peanut butter, creamy
1/4 Cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt

Granulated Sugar

Jam or Jelly of your choice

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F (or 191 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, cream sugars, shortening, and peanut butter together.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla, and cream well.
4. Add milk and mix well.
5. In separate bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Slowly mix dry ingredients into peanut butter mixture.
7. Mix well until soft dough forms.
8. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
9. Roll balls in granulated sugar until coated.
10. Place cookies about 1-2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
11. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.
12. When done baking, remove cookies from oven.
13. With your finger make a depression in the middle of the cookie. (you may need to do this more than once to reach the depth you want)
14. Spoon your favorite jam or jelly into depression.
15. Place cookies on wire rack to cool.
16. Store in air tight container.

My kids loved these, and the make a good treat for school lunches.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Submitted by Lisa Terhune

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box spice cake mix

1 15 oz. can pumpkin

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients.
Bake 350 degrees for 20 min.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mrs. Fields Cookies

Submitted by Amy Shumway

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mrs. Fields Cookies

I lb butter (four cubes)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
6 cups regular oatmeal
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 180 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and sugars in large bowl.
3. Mix in eggs and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl, mix oatmeal, flour, salt and baking soda.
5. Add egg and sugar mix to dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
7. Spoon onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes.
9. Cool on wire wrack.

Enjoy!

Soft Chocolate Cookies

Submitted by Katie Cunningham

Soft Chocolate Cookies

(From "The Essential Mormon Cookbook" by Julie Badger Jensen)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

1 cup sour cream

1 recipe Creamy Chocolate Frosting (see below)

40 pecan halves

1. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl; set aside.
   
2. In another bowl cream butter, brown sugar, eggs, almond or vanilla extract, cooled melted chocolate, and sour cream.
   
3. Stir in the flour mixture.
   
4. Mix well.
   
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
   
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Cool.
   
7. Frost cookies with Creamy Chocolate Frosting and top each with a pecan half.
   

Makes 40 cookies.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 (1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate

2 Tbl butter

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cream

1. melt chocolate in microwave at 20-second intervals just until melted.
   
2. Stir in butter.
   
3. Add powdered sugar and cream. Mix together.
   
4. Add more powdered sugar or cream if necessary for desired consistency.
   

Makes enough frosting to cover 4 dozen cookies.

Outrageous Cookie Bars

I had some sweetened condensed milk I needed to use, and I found this recipe. It is delicious, and fun. Kids loved them.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) semi sweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup flaked coconut

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

MELT butter in 13 x 9-inch baking pan in oven; remove from oven. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over butter. Stir well; press onto bottom of pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts; press down firmly.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Grandma Olive's Russian Tea Cakes

This was always a staple at Grandma Olive's house for Christmas. They are delicious, and so easy to make.

Grandma Olive’s Russian Tea Cakes

1 pound butter or margarine, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl, until smooth.

2. Mix in flour, salt and nuts until well blended.

3. Place dough in airtight container, and chill in refrigerator overnight.

4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees (F) or 180 degrees ( C ).

5. Roll chilled dough into 1/2 inch balls.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

7. Roll baked cookies in confectioner’s sugar until well coated.