Kitchen Sink Cookies

April 14, 2011 Ceri

Because I’m more of a cook (or as I tell Ben a couple of times a week, “Now that I’m a chef….” This can really precede any statement at all.) I can get into a rut with baking. It’s not that I don’t love a baked good, Lord knows. It’s more of a confidence issue. The rut I’m in when it comes to cookies looks exactly like the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag. You know the one? And listen, it’s a good recipe! But there’s more to life and I’ve found it in one of my favourite new cookbooks. This is the third recipe I’ve made from The Sono Baking Company Cookbook by John Barricelli and each one has been a winner. These are not health food recipes – lots of butter and sugar – but for the occasional treat they’re fantastic.

Esme and Julian had a play date last weekend with one of their best friends, Alex, and his brand new brother Zachery, and we thought it would be nice to bring along a snack to share. Seemed only fair since I was pretty sure that my kids might trash their house…. Luckily, Mum Caroline is a great friend! And sure enough, within moments of getting there, the three of them had found their way into baby Zach’s crib and were bouncing around like wild animals. The only way to lure them out? Some fine, homemade cookies. As you can see from the picture below, they took a snack break and calmed right down. Of course it didn’t last – they were back to making mischief moments later. Fueled by a little sugar and all the amazing extras in these cookies they went full tilt for a whole morning.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 (3 sticks) cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks (I used chips, this is half a typical pack)
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped (optional if you have any nut issues)
1 cup raisins
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

With an electric mixer or a standing mixer, blend the butter, brown and regular sugars until the mixture is light and smooth - about 2 or 3 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the egg and vanilla and whip again.

Slowly add the flour and mix until it is all combined.

Now use a wooden spoon to blend in the oats, coconut, chocolate chips, nuts and raisins.

Use a soup spoon to drop batter onto a prepared cookie sheet - leaving 2 inches in between cookies. Place sheets in an oven for 20 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

Transfer the cookie sheet to a cooling rack for 10 minutes before using a spatula to lift them onto a plate.

Sweet Potato Chronicles