Oatmeal Cookies Big as your Hand

Oatmeal Cookies Big as your Hand

Avoiding refined sugar has helped Big Time with migraines.  So what does a girl do when craving an Oatmeal cookie that satisfies the need to sink teeth into crunchy chewy sweetness?  

Midnight scrolling thru Instagram!  I searched photos tagged #oatmealcookies and was looking for just the right size, shape and texture to fill my need, haha.  I found a gorgeous photo from @turbalroman who is a baker, photographer, fashion designer and more.  I enjoyed seeing the beautiful cookies that matched what I was craving, hoping that would be all I needed.

This morning, the craving couldn't be contained!  Normally, a nice hot bowl of oatmeal with honey and spices does the trick.  But there is a recipe on the lid of the oatmeal container for Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  Cookies or oatmeal?  Cookies wins!

I was feeling creative and did not follow the recipe on the lid exactly. I was craving the big gorgeous cookies from the photo.  Somehow convinced, this is what I actually made using the lid recipe as the guide.

I present the ultimate, big a$$ oatmeal cookie recipe, created this morning:

1/4 cup Country Crock Shedd's Spread
1/4 cup Coconut Oil (mine is solid at room temp)
1 cup Raw sugar (granulated crystal Turbinado type)
1/4 cup Molasses
1 T Honey
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
6 dashes of Bitters (used in bartending)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t special spice blend (see below)
1/2 t salt
3 cups Oats uncooked
1 cup add-ins (chocolate chips, mostly crushed cashew pieces to equal 1 cup together)

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat the first 5 ingredients until creamy with an electric mixer on medium.
2.  Add eggs, vanilla and bitters, beat well.
3.  Combine flour, baking soda, spices, salt in separate bowl.
4.  Measure out oats and add-ins to have aside and ready.
5.  Mix the flour mixture and wet mixture well.  Add oats and add-ins, mix well.
6.  Spoon 2-3 inch mounds onto ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Flatten the mounds to about 1/2 inch height.  The dough is sticky and just scrape and press to release it from fingers or spoon.
7.  Bake 10 mins.  Edges will show browning and centers will look set but not browned.
8.  Remove to cooling rack right away, slowly working the cookie lifter under each cookie firmly.
Makes approx. 24 cookies that measure 3-4 inches and 1/2 inch tall

Special Spice Blend
Mix spices together and use for the cookie recipe, then use a funnel to pour extras into a shaker.  I like to shake some on top of morning oatmeal, shake some on coffee grounds before brewing, over sweet potatoes before roasting, on bananas when pan frying, etc. Honestly, I eyeball the amounts and go heavier on the spices near the top of the list, lighter on the others and generally get this type of blend.  I believe this is a basic Chai mix.

1T Cinnamon
1/2 t Turmeric
1/4 t Ginger
1/4 t Nutmeg
1/4 t Cardamom
1/8 t Clove
dash black pepper

Warm spices blend in handy little shaker

Two dozen giant cookies!  Share them or stash in freezer.  Crunchy chewy craving solved!
Would these cookies be a hit or miss with you?  
Kathy