Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

I have been craving cookies lately, I love cookies.  I'm a cookie monster of sorts.  Really, I am!  I come by in naturally, my Dad is a big cookie fan too :-)

I figured I would try to make some cookies that might please both my cookie palate as well as my husband's.  My favourite kind of cookie is my Mom's chocolate chip cookie, my husband prefers oatmeal raisin.  So this recipe combines my likes with my hubby's, along with a few extras.  These certainly are loaded cookies!  I found the recipe in a Taste of Home Cookies & Bars cookbook, and added raisins to the mix.  Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut, flaked
1/2 cup pecans, crushed
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and two sugars.  Add in eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.  Add in quick oats, chocolate chips, coconut, pecans and raisins.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 11-12 minutes or until done.  Remove from oven and cool for about 2 minutes before moving to a wire to finish cooling.

VERDICT:
These were super tasty, and a hit with everyone, even though my husband did comment that the cookies could use a little less chocolate chips and a little more raisins.  Ha!  (Didn't slow him down eating them though!). These were super good, and next time I would probably try adding some sunflower seeds to the batter, just for fun!



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Banana Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bread

Banana bread is a hot commodity in our house.  We all love it, we all fight over that first slice (the chef gets the first slice)...and one of the submissions to this week`s Scrumptious Sunday left me inspired to try something new with our banana bread.  Thanks Like Mother, Like Daughter for inspiring me to try something new!  I probably would have tried their banana blueberry bread if blueberries were in season (I will try the recipe later this year!), but instead I went to my trusty piles of recipes to see what I could find.  I found one that is full of all sorts of goodness - bananas (of course!), coconut, chocolate, and then I added in some extra goodness, peanut butter chips and walnuts.  Here is my recipe:

Topping:
1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour

Combine all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Bread:
1/3 cup oil (vegetable, coconut, etc)
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 ripe, mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup walnuts
3/4 cup mixed white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips (use whatever ratio you wish -  I used mostly white chocolate and peanut butter chips)

Preheat oven to 325F.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs.  Add in bananas and stir until well mixed.  Add flour mixture.  Add 1/2 cup of the white chocolate/peanut butter/chocolate chips.  Pour intogreased bread pan (8" x 4"). Top with remaining 1/4 cup of chips and cover with coconut topping.

Bake in centre of oven for about 70 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in the pan, on a rack.  Enjoy!

VERDICT:
Everyone enjoyed this bread, it was a nice change to our usual, everyday banana bread.  Though my husband said there could be less chocolate (my chip ratio was about 1/2 peanut butter chips, 1/4 white/chocolate chips)...but then again, he claims to not like chocolate ;-)  My oldest son said that he didn't like the walnuts.  But they both keep eating the bread, so I'm taking that sign as one that they do like it!  I found the coconut topping too messy for my preference, and will probably reduce the coconut to 1/4 cup for the topping and would consider mixing some coconut into the bread to see how that tastes!  Next time!

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