Heaven on Earth

Heaven on Earth

Friday, October 8, 2010

2nd Annual 12 Weeks of Christmas Bloghop


Last year's 12 weeks of Christmas Blog Hop was a great success.  So here's the 2nd Annual Hop.  I'm a week late, so I'll be posting 11 weeks of Christmas cookies.  But hey, better late than never, right?

This is my all-time favorite oatmeal cookie and it's not fancy, but it needs to be in on the Christmas cookie list.  It can hold it's own on any cookie try.  To the basic batter, you can add dried sour cherries (like my daughter Abby did), cranberries, dried fruit, raisins, candied fruit, nuts (my favorite is macadamia), or white or dark chocolate chips.  You can add any combination or as many different things as you want.  You might even want to drizzle some icing across them.  I like them just as they are.


This cookie is buttery, soft, and chock full of ingredients.  It's soft but travels well.  It makes a really big batch so there are always plenty to share with the neighbors or to take to your Christmas pot-lucks.


I'll be posting more of our favorite Christmas cookies in the weeks to come and while you're here, click on some of the other members offerings for more great cookies.
Best-Ever Cookies
Makes 4 to 5 dozen

1 C. shortening
1 C. butter
2 C. brown sugar
2 C. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, beaten
3 tsp. of real vanilla extract
4 C. all-purpose flour
5 C. quick oats
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 C. any combination of your favorite add-ins (cherries, raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.)

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.
Cream the fats and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixture is fluffy.
Add the vanilla and mix. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients. Add your selected mix-ins to the top of the dry ingredients. Mix all together, just until blended. Do not over mix.

Bake at 375˚ for 7 – 10 minutes.  Don’t over- cook the cookies as they will be hard later. They should just be brown around the edges and set in the center.

Cool the cookies on the pan for 2 minutes before removing them to a rack to cool.

Week 2 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:






17 comments:

  1. I love the fact that these cookies can be adjusted according to each person's own taste. I think the best recipes are ones which start off with a good base and then let the baker's creativity take it from there. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. These look perfect! I like that you could make a batch of dough and split it to add the different ingredients to them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow,that is some collection of cookies! I just posted 2 cookie recipes on my blog ut just don't have the discipline to do 12 days! Good for you! And love these cookies!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This cookie looks like the ultimate oatmeal cookie! I can imagine all the good stuff that can be added:) I'm in on the Christmas cookie event this year too, and I'm happy to see you here!:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look great! I love versatile starter doughs like that - so many possibilities! Looking forward to baking along with you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow, that is a huge recipe, just like the ones I grew up with that my mom got from her mom! They look like perfect cookies!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I can't wait to see all of your cookies. What a fun group to join. I love a good oatmeal cookie, no doubt these are delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Came over to thank you for stopping by and leaving your comment. I am glad to know that the apple butter does keep well after canning. I am still enjoying the small container I kept out for hubs and I to eat, although I am doing most of the eating. Hubs does not eat a lot of jams or butters on toast or breads. I want to tell you that your site is awesome and I expect to come back often. I joined the HBinFive the first of the year but after 2 or 3 months I stopped because hubs was not enjoying the bread and I was eating to much of it myself. Now I spy all these cookie recipes...I may have to try a few. My best friend love oatmeal raisin so I better make these for her.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Super YUMMY cookies you have here!:-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. These look wonderful! Love that you can get creative with them, too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love these! They look irresistible!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Any cookie with oatmeal is a winner in my book! They look yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  13. A great classic cookie. I like the different add-ins you included to make it your own special oatmeal cookie. They look delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love a good oatmeal cookie. Yours look wonderful. Thanks for sharing them:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Best ever? I have to try these cookies!

    ReplyDelete
  16. So glad you're joining in. I'll have to give this best ever recipe a try!

    ReplyDelete