Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Dear Devon,

Have you ever flipped over the lid of a Quaker Oats box? On the backside, discreetly printed in light blue ink, there's a great recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe is probably fifty years old, but how many people actually use it? If you don't know about it, I suggest you take a look at your box of oatmeal now. Because it's on every lid, I haven't bother writing it down. But for you, I will, along with my suggestions.


I first came across this recipe years ago when I went digging through the pantry and found, to my horror, three boxes of half eaten oatmeal. It is a universally acknowledged fact that people of a certain height have a hard time finding things on high shelves. The result is that mystery items can persist in our shelves until a giant comes along to rectify the situation. In my frustration, I sometimes think that anything above eye level might as well have been left at the store.


In the case of the oatmeal, I decided that consolidating the opened boxes wasn't enough. This oatmeal had to be consumed. Haunted by visions of eating oatmeal every day for the next three months, I followed Quaker's advice. Oatmeal raisin cookies bring to mind chalky, dusty, over spiced hockey pucks- but what ended up in my cookie jar was surprisingly moist, chewy, and flavorful. Since then, these cookies have made regular appearances at my table.

From the start, I substituted chocolate chips for raisins. I have never liked the sharp, pointed sweetness of raisins in baked goods. Chocolate is much better. A half cup of peanut butter folded into the batter increases the depth of flavor and adds a bit of needed saltiness. Note: peanut butter usually makes things better.



Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
inspired from the Quaker Oats lid
makes 36 cookies

2 sticks of butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Beat butter and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Whisk in two eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Fold in 1/2 cup peanut butter. Sift in flour salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Using a rubber spatula, fold in sifted flour mixture. Measure 3 cups of oatmeal and 1 cup chocolate chips, add to dough. Cool batter in fridge for about 15 minutes.

Drop cookies onto prepared baking sheet, using two flat spoons. Space cookies about 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Roughly 20 cookies should fit on one 18" x 13" baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 15 - 17 minutes or until the tops are nicely browned. Remove cookies to cool on a metal rack. Cool baking sheet before preparing the second batch. I learned this the hard way.

Cinnamon Rasin Granola

Hi Devon,

Homemade granola, easy to make and tastier than store bought: why waste money on pre-packaged? Nothing jumpstarts your morning better than a big scoop of yogurt mixed with fruit and granola. I love granola but don't like many calorie-packed commercially boxed granolas. Unnecessary sugars and additives make eating a healthy alternative like granola more like eating a sausage and egg sandwich from the corner deli.

Making my own proved a much healthier and tastier solution. Controlling the ingredients is key to any recipe. Luckily, granola is flexible by definition, allowing for many substitutions and improvisations. I read through three recipes (the Joy of Cooking, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything, and Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa fame) before finalizing my own formula. A comparison of the three proved that a recipe for granola is always a suggestion, rather than a specific technique. Add anything you like, toss with an oil / sugar-based mix, and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant.

Each of the three recipes varied slightly in their choice of ingredients and cooking instructions. Both the Joy of Cooking and Ina Garten called for the oats to be tossed in an oil and sugar-based mixture, while Bittman suggested cooking the granola on a baking sheet positioned over two burners of the stove. Proportions varied wildly from Bittman's 4 cups of oats to Garten's 6 cups. Each suggested an assortment of dried fruits, nuts, and spices, including: wheatberry, pecans, raisins, poppy seeds, and nutmeg. All three consider shredded coconut an essential component. I didn't use it- it's not in my pantry, so it's not in my granola.

I devised my own recipe / suggestion for granola. I opted for a simple base of old-fashioned rolled oats. I picked up some plump golden raisins and walnuts, not my first choice, but still adequate, at my local grocery store. The pantry was stocked with a thousand sunflower seeds, a remnant from a project a few months ago, and a box of raisins. At first, I was hesitant to use sunflower seeds, but upon tasting the final product, I loved it. They gave the granola a nutty and almost buttery flavor, something that was needed to balance the sweetness of the raisins.

For my first attempt, I did not want to be too crazy with my flavors. Bittman suggested adding nutmeg or cinnamon, to infuse the granola with warm and spicy notes. I used both spices and enhanced the flavor with maple syrup, omitting the recommended honey. I love honey, but this time, I wanted something that would tie into the dark tones of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Substitutions are fine. You don't have to run out to the store before making this. Use what you have and make thoughtful choices.

Since each author recommended a different baking time and temperature, I chose a moderate temperature of 300 degrees F and opted to check my granola every 10 minutes, giving it the requisite stir. Spread the mixture out evenly over the large pan to encourage even cooking. The wonderful perfume of roasting nuts and spices filled the kitchen. The texture and crunchiness determined when to remove the pan. Be careful when tasting, the granola is burning hot. Allow the granola to come to room temperature before mixing in an assortment of dried fruit. If you add the dried fruit too soon, it will get sticky and adhere to the hot pan and lose its shape.

The recipe makes an insane amount, roughly 8 cups. Store in a plastic container and it will keep indefinitely.


Cinnamon Raisin Granola

4 cups rolled old-fashioned oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup black raisins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped nuts, sunflower seeds, salt, and spices. Whisk together vegetable oil and maple syrup until well-blended. Pour the oil / syrup mixture onto the dry ingredients. Toss with a flexible spatula until the oats, nuts, and seeds are evenly coated. Empty the mix onto a large baking sheet (9 x 13 inch). Bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, stirring with a spatula every 10 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and fragrant.

Allow granola to cool on the pan on a wire rack. Toss in the raisins. Mix to combine.

Serve with yogurt and fresh fruit or milk.

Store in a plastic container.