honey wheat oatmeal bread

Yes, it's been a whole lot of bread baking here in New Jersey. I hope you're not breaded out, but bear with me just one more time. I promise I'll find something novel to bake next, maybe something pumpkiny?

This bread does differ from the previous posts in that it involves yeast. The smells of yeast bread proofing and baking are so appealing. I had all the ingredients on hand too— always a plus.

chocolate oatmeal crispies

Do you like your cookie crispy or soft? Do you like it with lots of texture, chock-full of add-ins, or are you a minimalist— just a chocolate chip, thank you! Does it depend on what kind of cookie you're having?  I am a cookie fiend and love them all sorts of ways, but I think my favorite cookie has a combination of crisp on the edges and then soft towards the middle.

This chocolate cookie, as the name implies, is crisp, through and through. It makes no apologies and stands proud with its crunchy, crumbly, meringue-like snap. The chocolate flavor is just enough (add chocolate chips if you want more) and complements the coconut and oatmeal beautifully. It's a perfect afternoon snacking cookie, eaten with a large glass of milk.

oatmeal raisinets cookie

A little damp, a bit gray, a smidgen sad... it's one of those fall days when I listen to Fauré's Requiem (hauntingly beautiful), curl up in a blanket with a cup of hot cocoa, and wish my fireplace worked properly.

It's also a day that calls out for an oatmeal cookie- warm, filling, soothing.

I like this recipe because it doesn't scream,"Oatmeal!" There is just enough to give it textural interest and to take it beyond a regular chocolate chip cookie dough. The Hubs referenced the cookie the other day, as I haven't baked it in over a year. The cookie is soft inside, but crisp around the edges. (If you prefer a crispy oatmeal cookie, take a look at this recipe.)

oatmeal toffee cookie {cookie carnival}

July's pick for {cookie carnival} was an oatmeal raisin cookie.  Since neither oatmeal nor raisin is a popular ingredient here, I omitted the raisins and added a lot of toffee bits in the hopes that caramelization would entice The Tasters.  I also added an additional 4 tablespoons butter, hoping for a strong buttery flavor.

The extra butter coupled with the buttery toffee bits resulted in a flat cookie.

aspen oatmeal bars

I had to make some cookies for a meeting this past Thursday. This recipe, from Maida Heatter's Cookies, caught my eye primarily because of its short list of ingredients and its one pot simplicity. (I abhor clean-up tasks.)

Though the original recipe didn't call for this step, I lined my Fat Daddio's (gotta love that brand name!) pan with foil for ease of extraction. You first turn the pan upside-down and wrap the foil around the outside to form the shape. Then, turn it right-side up and insert the shaped foil into the pan.

Observe the dent in the butter. Note to self: strap camera around wrist before attempting aerial photography.