“Dump” Cookies

Please pardon the name, but that is just want came to mind when I whipped these up today… These cookies pretty much have every ingredient you can think of chocolate, oats, nuts, and dried fruit! In addition I made a few of these cookies extra special for two close friends of mine, they are celebrating their one year home ownership anniversary today! Congrats Nick and Katie on turning your house into a home over the last year!

I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day than baking for friends 🙂 Also now that I think about it my friends had a large tree take a “dump” on their garage within 4 days of moving in last year so I think these cookies are very fitting! You can read more about that here on their blog 🙂

Ingredients ( Make 3 dozen cookies) Preheat oven to 350

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup uncooked quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

• Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until blended.
• Combine flour, soda, oats, and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating well. Stir in chocolate chips, dried cranberries, and chopped pecans. Drop  tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 8 to 14 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

To make some of the cookies extra special for my friends I sprinkled shredded coconut on them just before popping them in the oven! Alex isn’t a big coconut fan so I left the rest of the cookies coconut free, but either way they will be delicious!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, 2005

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last week I officially started my first big girl job at a local Milwaukee Hospital. I can’t tell you how excited/ scared I am. So far everything is going great, and I’m ready  to dive right in and start my nursing career! This transition has been going quite well, and I hope I can keep up the energy I seem to have lately! With the half marathon only 2 weeks away, and 40 hours of work each week I still feel like I can do it all. I’m sure that will change very soon, but I’m going to take advantage of every minute that I feel motivated. In addition I now need to make myself a lunch every day. So when I’m packing up my brown bag this week I’ll be having these cookies as desert… you know right before I get ready to pound the hallways saving lives 🙂

(Makes 2 – 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies)

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Butter (Softened)
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter
• 3/4 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
• 1/2  Cup Sugar
• 1 Large Egg
• 3/4 Tablespoons Milk
• 3/4 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/4 Cups Flour
• 3/4 Teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup  Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions (Preheat Oven to 350)

In a mixing bowl combine the butter and peanut butter, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add the brown and white sugars and mix until well combined. Add the egg and mix for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is well combined and light in color. Add the milk and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix just briefly. While there are still large spots of flour, add the chocolate chips and mix until the flour is completely mixed in and the mixture is well combined. Let the cookie dough sit for 15 minutes before scooping onto the baking sheets.

Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto silpat or parchment-lined baking sheets leaving about 1 to 2 inches in between the cookies to allow for spreading as they bake. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes after baking before removing them to a cooling rack. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an air tight container and enjoy all week long!

Recipe adapted from Melskitchencafe.com