My Dad's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

If you are a reader of my articles over at Okanagan4Kids, then you know that June is all about our Dads, and my article was all about my Dad and my Father-in-law's favourite recipes.  I saved my husband's favourites for special posts here on my blog this month as June is also his birthday month.  So, like my May article, about my Mom and Mother-in-Law's recipes, I asked my Dad and my Father-in-Law to share with me their favourite recipes.  Of course, I was a little cheeky and did say that I had veto power on what they chose (again, my Mom's buns were off limits, and my Dad knew right away that I wouldn't be making liver and onions...his favourite...but torture in my eyes LOL).  My Dad so kindly shared with me his recipe for his favourite cookies...also the cookie that my oldest son loves and loves to steal from the cookie jar and Grandma and Papa's.  Today I am sharing his recipe, and on Wednesday I will share my Father-in-Law's recipe - be sure to check back for that one! 

Here is today's recipe:

Dad's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Source: My Dad!)

2 cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3 cups oats (anything but instant oats)
1 1/2 cups of raisins 

Preheat oven to 350F

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter.  Add in eggs, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla - mixing on low.  Increase speed to high and beat until fluffy and the colour lightens. 

Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture until no flour is visible. Do not overmix - over mixing develops the gluten, making a tough cookie. Now add the oats and raisins; stir to incorporate.

Fill cookie scoop with dough - about two tablespoons.

Drop 2-inches apart onto baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake 11-13 minutes (on center rack), until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.

Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

VERDICT:
Mu husband has delcared these his absolute favourite cookie.  Of course, I felt they needed a little chocolate, but then again, I am happy to add chocolate to almost any baking (like bacon, it just makes things better!).  These cookies did not last long in our house at all...a new cookie monster has popped up and ate them all up!

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Blueberry Raisin Wheat Bran Muffins - Crazy Cooking Challenge

Hello to everyone from the Crazy Cooking Challenge!  This month our challenge was Blueberry Bran Muffins.  I am new to the Crazy Cooking Challenge, but looking forward to the fun!  This is a re-post from an entry I did in January...but it's a good one.

I love muffins, I really do.  Probably has something to do with the fact that they can be eaten with one hand, and I always have a baby in the other!  I know everyone says that muffins can be bad for you, especially those store bought ones, but I think that if you can find the right recipe, you know what's going into them and therefore what's going into your body.  And if you are satisfied with what you put into the muffins, then that's what matters :-)


I especially like blueberry muffins, and I like the idea of bran muffins, though I find bran muffins too dry.  So I have always been on the search for the perfect blueberry bran muffin recipe.  You'd think it would be easy to find the perfect recipe.  Maybe I am too picky, I'm not sure.  Today I found a new bran muffin recipe which I modified when we made them, and part of the modifications included adding blueberries.  Here is the recipe we used:

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups natural wheat bran

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup raisins

Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add molasses and eggs, and beat well.  Add buttermilk, then add bran. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to liquid ingredients.

Stir in raisins and blueberries.

Place in lined muffin pan, bake at 400 F for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are done.

Makes 12 large muffins.

THE VERDICT
These are a nice looking muffin and taste pretty good.  The blueberries make the muffins especially moist. Big plus! Personally I am not a big fan of molasses, so next time we make these I will actually cut the molasses from 1/4 cup to 1/8 cup.  I think it still needs to be there, just a smaller amount. My husband and oldest son both liked these!

Carrot Pineapple Raisin Bran Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

My son's preschool held their Easter party this week and each family contributed a little something to the "Easter Buffet".  Originally I wrote down that I would bring "something sweet" with good intentions to make some fun Easter treat, but time got away from me (we re-did our oldest son's room this past weekend...and our house is still a mess!) so I opted to go for something a bit healthier but still with a little sweet.  I decided on an old favourite of ours, and one that is always popular with the kids, Carrot Pineapple Raisin Bran Muffins with Cream Cheese Icing.  Hey...it's Easter, we needed a little bit of carrot!  And it turned out that one of his classmates (and teacher) were both celebrating their birthdays this week, so a cake was brought to the Easter party - I'm glad I changed my "something sweet" choice...imagine all those 4 and 5 year olds after a tonne of sweet?!

And, since it is Easter I did feel the need to dress the muffins just a little.  Off to the Dollar Store and I found the cutest little chicks that were the perfect size for mini-muffins.  Here is the recipe, slightly adapted from Company's Coming - Muffins & More:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup natural bran
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup crushed pineapple and juice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts (I didn't add the walnuts this time as my son's classroom is a nut-free zone)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Combine flour, brown sugar, bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir together well, and make a well in the centre.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs until frothy.  Add in oil, carrots, pineapple, juice, raisins and walnuts.  Add to dry ingredients, into the well.  Mix, but only to moisten.  The batter will be lumpy.  Fill lined or greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (regular sized muffins) or 10-11 minutes (mini muffins).  Cool on wire rack.  Frost if desired.

Make 12-14 large or 24-30 mini muffins.

Cream Cheese Frosting (from Company's Coming - Desserts)

4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups icing sugar

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla.  Beat well.  Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy.  Spread over muffins.

VERDICT:
These are delicious muffins.  Nice and moist, and a nice blend of "stuff" inside.  Not overwhelming with too much carrot, pineapple ot raisins.  And the cream cheese icing, which is optional but a nice a way to dress them up a bit, is always so so so good!  My son and I enjoyed cleaning off the spatula and mixing bowl when we were done icing the muffins    :-)

Searching for the Perfect Blueberry Bran Muffin Recipe

I love muffins, I really do.  Probably has something to do with the fact that they can be eaten with one hand, and I always have a baby in the other!  I know everyone says that muffins can be bad for you, especially those store bought ones, but I think that if you can find the right recipe, you know what's going into them and therefore what's going into your body.  And if you are satisfied with what you put into the muffins, then that's what matters :-)

I especially like blueberry muffins, and I like the idea of bran muffins, though I find bran muffins too dry.  So I have always been on the search for the perfect blueberry bran muffin recipe.  You'd think it would be easy to find the perfect recipe.  Maybe I am too picky, I'm not sure.  Today I found a new bran muffin recipe which I modified when we made them, and part of the modifications included adding blueberries.  Here is the recipe we used:

Blueberry Raisin Wheat Bran Muffins

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1/4 cup molasses

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups natural wheat bran

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup raisins

Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add molasses and eggs, and beat well.  Add buttermilk, then add bran. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to liquid ingredients.

Stir in raisins and blueberries.

Place in lined muffin pan, bake at 400 F for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins are done.

Makes 12 large muffins.

THE VERDICT
These are a nice looking muffin and taste pretty good.  The blueberries make the muffins especially moist. Big plus! Personally I am not a big fan of molasses, so next time we make these I will actually cut the molasses from 1/4 cup to 1/8 cup.  I think it still needs to be there, just a smaller amount.  My husband hasn't tried one yet, but I'm sure they will pass in his eyes!