Cookie Jar: Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Thanksgiving has come and gone!  I think I'm done with leftovers.  I know I am so over turkey for a while.  Of course I'll still buy D2 paper-thin sliced turkey for sandwiches, but I am not having turkey for a while.  The Safeway turkey meal turned out to be delicious, and I think it was worth the $10 premium over the Foodland meal, even if the Foodland meal includes rolls and pumpkin pie.

I ended up supplementing our meal with a pumpkin cream cheese dessert.  It was delicious.  I hadn't made it for a while, and I forgot how well pumpkin and cheesecake go together.  I still have a few slices left, and that is probably the only Thanksgiving straggler I'm willing to have.

There are fourteen more work days left before vacation.  I decided not to wait til the very end of the quarter to assign the quarter assessment.  I'm hoping my students will appreciate one less final for which to prep.  I'm also hoping they will not slack off on classwork from now until the 17th.  I can't stand the laziness.  That bugs me almost as much as the attention-seeking behaviors.

For the past few years, my senior English classes have read Dickens' A Christmas Carol.  I no longer teach seniors, and that novella isn't part of the Springboard curriculum for the grade level I teach.  Come to think of it, I don't think it's part of the Springboard curricula for any grade level.  I'm sad because students always seemed to find a message in the story, and it was a good way to end the semester.  Oh, Springboard. . .you confound me!

On a more positive note, in less than two weeks, D1 will be home.  I can only hope she will be hitting the books to prep for finals.  Sigh.  I don't know what to think.  When she was in high school I could monitor her grades; the rules changed when she went to college.  Unfortunately, I'm not savvy enough to figure out how to keep tabs on her grades.  And then I ask myself if that's something I'd even want to do.  Would I have wanted my mom to know I was slacking, or was she much happier hearing what I TOLD her?  I don't think she would've slept well if I told her what I was doing when I should have been hitting the books.

I can only hope that D1 is better than me.  I can only hope she is more responsible.  I can only hope she makes better choices.  And I can only hope she isn't drinking her dinner.  Btw, whatever happened to all those wine cooler varieties?  Bartles and James?  Sun Country?  Back then, I didn't think they were malt beverages; I swear they were wine coolers.  Cheap-ass wine, for sure.

I suppose if my need to be nosey needed satiation, I could always monitor D2's grades.  I still have access to that.  But am I brave enough?  (As I am typing this post, D2 happens to come by and spies what I'm writing.  Her response is to assume command of the keyboard and type, "No, I am not :P")  Yup, even with a few bottle of Bartles and James, I wouldn't be brave enough.  Or I might be brave enough to check, but I would need to drink something stronger before confronting.

In light of the upcoming exam week, I'm posting a cookie recipe.  If I somehow find the energy tonight, I will make these and ship them off to D1 tomorrow.  She'll be able to munch on these while she burns the midnight oil.  Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part . . . burning the midnight oil . . . ha ha ha!

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

     1/3 c butter

     6 tbsp Crisco

     3/4 c brown sugar, packed

     1/2 c sugar

     1 egg

     3 tbsp water

     1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

     1/4 tsp almond extract

     1 tsp cinnamon

     1 tsp salt

     1 tsp baking soda, sieved

     3 c quick oats

     1 1/4 c flour

     1 bag (11 oz) butterscotch chips

     1/4 c pecans, finely chopped

Place butter, crisco, brown sugar, sugar, egg, water, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat until combined.  Stir in oats.  Add flour.  When almost all incorporated, stir in butterscotch chips and pecans.  Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Using a #40 disher (packed, leveled), scoop cookie dough onto prepared sheets.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  While oven is preheating, chill cookie sheets.  Flatten with fingers according to preference:  1/4"-3/8" discs for flatter, crunchier cookies or 1/2" discs for thicker, softer cookies.  Bake 17 minutes.  Remove to a rack to finish cooling completely.  Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies. 

And if you're stuck on my question about the myriad of wine coolers from the 80s, you can read this to get your answer.  And wouldn't you know it. . .I cannot drink any malt-based beverage without hurling the contents of my previous meal.  Sorry if that was TMI.

 Sammy

2010-2015

Cookie Jar: Crunchy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm here.  I made it.

Prom #1:  Glad it's over.

Prom #2:  Glad it's over.

Takenoko Sushi:  When is the next time?

Prom #1 was a headache and a half.  For many of the students, this was their first formal dance, and since a dinner was provided, it became apparent early on that not all high school juniors have a grasp on proper table manners.  Last weekend, my cousin asked me, "do they know how to dine?".  Now I can officially answer her, "NO".  They have a year to prepare themselves for the senior prom, and if they plan to have prime rib, then the learning curve will be steep.

My main objective was to keep the students safe and contained within the facility.  I'm always amazed at how students look forward to these things, yet the moment they arrive, they want to "go".  And while they are in line, they can't wait to get in, but before the event is over, they are lining up by the door, ready to go.  Amazing.  I'm thankful that everyone who went to the venue also left safely.  We lost nobody along the way.

Prom #2 was D1's last high school prom (as a host).  Bittersweet.  I'm not sure what time she and her friends (2 spent the night) rolled in.  According to The Help, they went for a swim at 3 am.  The water must've been freezing!

We celebrated Uncle Edz' belated birthday at Takenoko Sushi.  The food was delicious.  Upon the advice of a coworker,  Uncle Edz ordered the lobster miso soup.  There was half a lobster floating in the bowl.  Talk about decadent.  The Hamakua mushroom appetizer was also good.  Uncle Edz went the no-fail omakase route, substituting something else for the uni.  I had one of the mini bowls and the baked avocado/crab/scallop.  That was tasty, but its probably not something I'd order again.  You really need to like avocado!  I'm not sure when I'll be lucky enough to get back to Takenoko Sushi again.  What blew my mind was that there was a high school couple sitting next to us at the sushi bar.  They kept ordering things, and I'm sure their bill wasn't much less than mine.  How do these kids do it?

This is the start of another busy week.  A two-day workshop means I'm out of the classroom for two days.  I don't mind learning things at these workshops, but I don't like making substitute plans.  What a pain!  And this workshop requires traveling.  I am so not looking forward to getting up early to catch a plane, only to arrive at the workshop ready to nap.  I thought my days of these early morning flights were behind me.  I'm getting too old for this!

In preparation for the boring workshop ahead of me, I spent a few hours yesterday in the kitchen.  I baked a batch of these cookies.  I will sneak them in to the workshop so I will have something to do. . .eat instead of sleep.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Crunchy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

     1/2 c butter, softened
     1 c sugar
     1 egg
     3/4 c flour
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp salt
     1 c quick oats
     6 oz (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips
     1/2 c pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg.  Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture.  Stir in oats, chocolate and nuts until just combined.  Using a #60 disher (about 2 teaspoons), drop onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 11 minutes.  Allow to remain on baking sheet for 3 minutes after removing from oven.  Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

love the hand face

D1's last prom (as the host). . .it's been fun. . .the seemingly endless stream of girls coming over to test makeup and hair. . .the seemingly endless stream of girls coming over to get ready for the big night. . .cars all over the driveway. . .bags and bags of chips. . .the aroma of hairspray (I think the hairs in my nose were stiff from all the particulate matter in the air). . .

This year, several of the girls were picked up by their dates at my home.  It was a treat to see them all dressed up.  The plan was for us to get a few shots of them outside, then they planned to head down to the park to take pics with another group of friends.  Unfortunately, the weather wasn't cooperative anywhere in Hilo, and a frantic D1 asked if The Help could set up a backdrop and lights in the living room.  Talk about rush job!  The Help and I set up everything in record time, and within an hour, The Help was snapping away.  I will definitely miss these moments (the squeeze-ass-assemble-photographic-equipment-quickly-moments notwithstanding).

I PROMise I won't cry

Cookie Jar: Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

Whew. . .I'm glad today is a holiday!  I was running around like a chicken without a head this past week.  The Ds had so much going on.  D2 had an intermediate school registration meeting on Tuesday.  D1 began work at the hospital that same day.  She had games on Tuesday and Friday, and both Ds had dental appointments on Wednesday.  D1 doesn't drive, so I'm still chauffeuring her around.  Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. . .one less thing to worry about.  AND less to pay in car insurance.

Our school was visited by a team made up of district people and a bunch of frequent flyers from Oahu.  What a bunch of sorry ass losers.  They were okay with me, but in one class, the students felt threatened when one of them started firing questions.  When the teacher tried to intervene to calm the student, the Oahu lady flew her hand down to wave her off.  Unreal.  One of the ladies who observed me had her foot up on a chair!  That's something even my students know better than to do.  That's rude!

Similar visits took place in the school district where I worked previously.  Teachers there saw it as a good thing and were looking at the visits as an opportunity to rat out the principal.  They were under the assumption that the visit would lead to the principal getting canned.  None of the visits led to that. . .I know because the same inept principals are still in their positions.  At my school, the faculty seemed to band together and wanted to protect the administration from these nefarious alien invaders.  To me, that says a lot.  People LIKE coming to work.  Students LIKE attending school.  I don't know of any school in the other place where the faculty and students would say that.

Someone said these unannounced visits were for evaluation purposes.  #anylaborattorneyslookingforwork  #lawsuitwaitingtohappen  I hope not because the individual classroom visits were unannounced.  One of my colleagues got into it with one of the brass from Oahu.  I think the Oahu lady behaved in an unprofessional way.  And if we're on the unprofessional tangent, sharing evaluative information with some staff members was also unprofessional.  If these people were respected, it would be a different story.  But a title and a few extra bucks does not garner automatic respect.  The only saving grace is that these idiots are not the ones in the classroom!  I would rather eat wasabi than have my kid be taught by one of these morons.  

Speaking of trash. . .this past week, I threw out what was left of the mini M & M cookies (its long after Christmas, so no point in trying to pass green & red M & M cookies as freshly baked), the ones LA didn't manage to eat.  I needed something to put into the cookie jar, so The Help suggested oatmeal cookies.

Now The Help would much rather eat cookies which are soft and chewy.  To me, soft cookies are either underbaked or stale (its part of the package when you live in such a humid place. . .you WANT cookies which are hard and crunchy).  But I told The Help that if he wanted soft cookies, he could either leave a some cookies out on the counter for a few hours or microwave them til they are warm (they will get soft).  Problem solved.

This is the oatmeal cookie I bake when I want oatmeal cookies.  The dough is sturdy. . .no refrigeration necessary, and the cinnamon-cranberry combination reminds me of my favorite bread machine bread.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

     1/2 c butter, softened
     1/2 c shortening
     3/4 c brown sugar
     3/4 c sugar
     1 tsp cinnamon
     1 tsp salt
     2 tsp vanilla
     1 egg
     3 c quick oatmeal
     1 c flour
     1 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Combine butter, shortening, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat until smooth.  Add egg.  Stir in oatmeal and flour.  Add cranberries.  Using a #50 disher, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets.  Flatten dough drops to 1/4" thickness (use fingers/palms).  Bake 20 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

When I make this, I stagger the baking.  Begin by baking 1 sheet on a rack 2/3 up in the oven.  10 minutes later, place another sheet on a rack about 3" below first sheet.  10 minutes later, remove top sheet and move lower sheet to higher rack.  Add new sheet onto lower rack and start timing cycle again.

Insanity: Kikukat's Monster Cookies

Last week was an INSANE week.  Being a 4-day work week meant that all the crazy nuttiness was crammed into 4 days, rather than stretched out over 5 days.  My job doesn't pay enough for all the abuse I take!

I'm grateful to have survived the work craziness.  I took part in a 2-day draining (I was one of the drainers), and there were times when I thought the SSCs were gonna riot.  I don't envy the task ahead of them, and if they are not strong writers, they will be up shit creek when its time for them to write the reports, which cannot be "cut and pasted" anymore.  This is gonna majorly jam some people up.  But I don't make up these rules.

Speaking of insane, I recently decided to bake a batch of cookies using a recipe I first tried 2 1/2 decades ago.  I think the recipe is insane because the ingredient amounts are copious.  Even the recipe yield is hilarious:  "makes enough to feed an army".  And if you are a baker, you'll notice that flour isn't in the ingredient list!  When you get to the recipe below, you'll definitely see the insanity.

I first made monster cookies when I came home on a break from college.  I'm not sure where I found the recipe, but being clueless (even though I thought I knew everything), I went ahead and made a batch.  Yes, I used the dozen eggs and 18 cups of oatmeal.  Needless to say my family had monster cookies coming out of our ears.  In order to stem my parents' growing concern that they'd be eating monster cookies for the remainder of summer, I gave bags away to my friends who were here.
A was given a bag, and right away, she called me for the recipe.  Her mama, a home economics teacher, wanted the recipe.

Fast forward ten years or so...A gives me a cookbook...its a 50th anniversary cookbook of the institute of higher education which gives A a paycheck.  I attended for 3 semesters, so I guess its sort of my school too.  Anyway, she submitted my recipe, the full version with the 18 glorious cups of oatmeal!  Way to go, A!!!

Being older and wiser, I was smart enough to make a quarter batch this time.  I've listed both recipes.  One for the shock value (the original that I made back in the late 80s) and the one I made when wisdom kicked in.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Original Recipe:  Monster Cookies (Insane Amount)

     2 c butter
     3 lbs creamy peanut butter
     12 eggs
     8 tsp baking soda
     1 lb M & Ms (plain)
     2 lbs brown sugar
     4 c sugar
     1 tbsp light corn syrup
     1 lb chocolate chips
     18 c quick cooking oatmeal

Quarter Recipe:  Monster Cookies

     1/2 c butter
     3/4 lb peanut butter
     3 eggs
     2 tsp baking soda
     1/4 lb M & Ms (plain)
     1/2 lb brown sugar
     1 c sugar
     3/4 tsp light corn syrup
     1/4 lb chocolate chips
     4 1/2 c quick cooking oatmeal

The procedure is the same for both:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease several baking sheets.  Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars.  Add eggs and corn syrup.  Quickly add baking soda, M & Ms, chocolate chips, and oatmeal.  Mix well.  Plop large scoops on prepared baking sheets.  Flatten.  Bake for 12-20 minutes, depending on the kind of baking sheets you use and how crunchy you like your cookie.  I like my cookies crunchy so I bake them for the full 20 minutes on airbake sheets.

And for the record, mom DID flip out when she saw the original recipe (yep, the version with the dozen eggs).  I wasn't working then, so she is the one who had to pay for all the ingredients!

Testing the new C A R (Candy Apple Red)

A little over two weeks ago, I wasn't sure if I could pull the trigger.  I happened to be cleaning up for house guests from Japan when I came across a Williams-Sonoma catalog.  My heart skipped a beat when I saw the newest bad boy in the Kitchenaid lineup of mixers. . .a seven-quart behemoth.  I tried to convince myself that I could live without it, and I even went so far as to look up prices at Amazon.com and eBay to convince myself Williams-Sonoma was overpriced.

Wrong move!  Amazon was selling it for $799 + shipping, and eBay had one for $600 with an additional $145 for shipping.  That's when I knew I couldn't pass up the Williams-Sonoma deal.  For $603 (which includes $30 shipping and Hawaii tax), the mixer was delivered to my door within a week of pulling the trigger.  I'm waiting for my $40 cash back and my 2-year subscription to Food & Wine magazine to arrive. . .all perks for buying from Williams-Sonoma before the end of March!

This baby is just a quart larger than the model it replaced.  The diameter of the bowl feels the same, but the bowl seems to be a lot deeper than the six-quart.  The most salient point is the noise level.  This baby is much quieter.  I can actually hear the tv even when I have the mixer going.  Of course, the true test of a mixer is the quality of the food it produces.

In between cleaning house, I managed to distract myself by making muffins and cookies.  The corn muffin recipe can be found here.  Sandy and I worked together at Moanalua.  She was a home ec teacher there before moving closer to home (Kalaheo).

I wanted to bake cookies with the kids for Valentines Day, and I was leaning towards spritz cookies.  Somehow, I ended up owing a favor to one of the vice principals at HHS.  He told me he likes oatmeal cookies with raisins.  Having never made oatmeal cookies before, I took this as a challenge and set off to find/tweak a recipe.  The pictures you are seeing here are from my 2nd attempt.  My 1st attempt produced horrific cookies which resembled lace cookies instead of cookie-jar quality oatmeal cookies.  I quickly searched for another recipe to tweak.

click on recipe title for printable recipe
Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

     3/4 c butter, softened
     3/4 c flour
     3/4 tsp salt
     1/2 tsp baking soda
     1/2 tsp cinnamon
     3/4 c brown sugar, packed
     3/4 c sugar
     1 egg
     1 tbsp water
     2 tsp vanilla
     3 c "quick" oatmeal
     1 c dried cranberries (5 oz)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl, stir together, flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, water, and vanilla.  Stir in flour mixture.  Stir in oatmeal.  Stir in cranberries.  Drop tablespoon globs onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake 11 minutes (I used Airbake sheets w/o rims).  Allow to rest 2 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to wire rack to cool.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies (use #50 disher).

For best results, especially if you like your cookies on the thicker side, chill cookie sheets/dough balls while waiting to bake.

A few notes before I sign off for this week

• I know the vice principal said he likes raisins, and I'm sure substituting raisins for the cranberries would make a decent cookie.  I don't like raisins at all so I wasn't about to make a cookie with ingredients I don't like.  That would be just dumb.  If he doesn't like cranberries, HE can pull all of them out himself.  
• The 7-qt Kitchenaid mixer is available in four colors:  white, black, silver & candy apple red.  As far as I'm concerned, there was only one choice.