My Motto

May the muffin rise to greet you, may your friends be always at your door, and until we meet again, warm a single-malt in the palm of your hand and make something homemade for someone you love.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fall and Oats

"A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand" ~ Unknown
This Saturday will be the peak for "leaf-peeping" in Connecticut.  Something that gets a lot of news coverage in New England.  Some years are better than others for color and this year is turning out to be a vivid one.  Just for fun, I've taken some photos in and around my town to give you a little "peep" into our New England Fall.  

Then, a cookie recipe.  Namely, our favorite oatmeal raisin cookie. A cookie that reminds me of Fall.  When I was about 20, I used to get a huge oatmeal cookie from a bakery and eat it for lunch.  This is the recipe closest to the bakery one. These cookies never last more than 24 hours in our house.  They are crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and it's hard to eat just one.  I'm also throwing in my recipe for cranberry-almond granola.  I've been making it a lot.  It's really easy and great for a quick breakfast, a topping for yogurt, or stirred into a bowl of hot oatmeal.  These cooler, darker mornings seem to have put me in the mood for oats and I always use the old fashioned kind.  I've already gone through a large canister this week.  Here's a tip: You can use the canister to stack cookies (individually wrapped in wax paper) for shipping to someone who might appreciate a taste of home.  Know anyone away at college?  Know anyone who likes cookies?
How psyched would you be if you got this in the mail?













Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco (important for that crispy outside)
2 T. molasses
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream the butter and Crisco together.  Add molasses, sugars, vanilla and eggs and beat together.  In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt baking soda and cinnamon.  Add to the wet ingredients and beat well.  By hand, stir in the oats and raisins.  Drop by large heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  I make them so large that only 6 will fit on the cookie sheet.  
Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.  
Cranberry-Almond Granola

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup honey
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small saucepan on low, heat together the honey and butter, just until the butter melts.  Do not boil it, or it will caramelize.  Place all other ingredients in a large bowl and stir together.  Pour the warmed honey-butter over it and immediately stir together.  Turn mixture out onto a greased cookie sheet and pat down lightly.  Bake for about 11 minutes, then remove from oven and push the granola in the corners of the pan toward the middle, and pull some of the middle granola towards the sides of pan.  This step is simply to help it brown evenly. Pat down again.  Return to oven for 5 or 10 more minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven to cooling rack.  Allow to cool completely, then break up and store in a Ziploc bag.

10 comments:

Anna Johnston said...

Amazing Autumn pics Margaret..., Fall in New England is bliss..., only seen it once but the memories linger on. Lovin' the Oatmeal-Raison Cookies too :)

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Thank you Anna. I've always lived here, but the beauty never ceases to amaze me....each year I look forward to the season! Hope you make it back here some day!

Satrupa said...

Dear Margaret,
I too am one of the lucky souls in CT, The fall colors are such a beauty ... one can never get enough of it !! The clicks around your town are awesome.
And the Oatmeal Raisin cookies look perfect

Cheers,
Satrupa

http://satrupa-foodforthought.blogspot.com

tracy said...

Margaret, I just love your blog. It is always so relaxing to see your fabulous photos of Connecticut, read your poetic musings and drool over your delicious goodies! I'm definitely a fan ~ wish i could see New England right now. T'would be even better than baseball:)

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

@Satrupa: Hey, thanks! I didn't realize you were in CT too! Might have to get together some time :-).

@Tracy: Very kind words. Really, I appreciate it. Thanks so much. If you're ever out this way, I hope you'll get in touch!

Jackie said...

I LOVE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES :D If only you could send me some of these across the pond... sigh.

Jax x

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

So, what's a little pond? I could ship you some....no problem!

Butter said...

It is soo beautiful out! I just went on my yearly hike and leaf peeping last weekend in New Paltz - How beautiful. So I couldn't resist this one. I picked up some oats tonight to make these tomorrow! Oatmeal Raisin are Jeff's favorite cookie! I will tweet a pic when they are done. And packing in the oatmeal container just touched my heart. As a little girl my grandmother used to do this and your picture and writing brought back such sweet memories. Thank you :)
- Butter

Donna S said...

I just made them GF!! Very tasty..although I baked them a little too long..second batch in the oven I got it right..and they are great.
Loved seeing you this weekend..Life is rarely dull for you...

Margaret Murphy Tripp said...

Hi Donna,
Great that you were able to make the recipe Gluten Free! And yes, you are correct...life surely is never dull! Loved seeing you as well...seeing being the operative word, since I couldn't TALK!!!!