Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans and Mini Chocolate Chips

As I was deciding what cookie to bake and send to the troops I thought about what would best remind them of home. I asked Jim what his favorite cookie was. His answer? He actually told me Milano Cookies. As in Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies. I like those too but I was referring to the homemade varietal. After a quick search I actually found a recipe for a Milano copy cat recipe that I will make for Jim later. But for the troops, I thought who doesn’t LOVE oatmeal cookies? I like mine without raisins. I like all my foods without raisins. Eew, raisins in food…yuck-o. Instead, I used mini chocolate chips to sweeten the deal.

Here is what you need to make Oatmeal cookies the way I like them:

1 cup shortening (you can use butter too, I used a butter flavored shortening)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs well beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
3 cups oats (I used Old Fashioned Oats, the instant kind would not work here.)
3/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, or no nuts)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used the mini chocolate chips)

Like I said earlier, this is one cup of Crisco that is butter flavored. Mom, would now be a good time to share with the world how you used to use this as moisturizer when your skin was REALLY dry?

I'm using a borrowed mixer, one day I shall have my very own. One cup of crisco (or butter).

One cup packed brown sugar.

1 cup granulated sugar.

Then we "cream" the mixture. I turned the mixer on medium for about a minute or two. It looks thoroughly mixed here.

Add two eggs. It is best practice to crack your eggs in a separate bowl just in case one is bad you don't ruin the entire mixture. These look like great eggs, so into the mixer they go.

One Tablespoon of vanilla (I like this mexican vanilla).

Then blend this really well, it is all creamy after about 2 minutes on medium high.

I'm using a whole wheat flour because that is what I had on hand. I like to sift the dry ingredients together first. I sifted right onto a sheet of parchment paper...it makes pouring in the mixer SO much easier.

Once the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon are sifted together, just fold the parchment paper like a Tex-Mex taco and transport to the mixer.

This makes funneling into the mixer SO MUCH EASIER. I'm all about making things easy!

Here is a good handful of pecans.

Simply chopped with my chef knife.

My favorite secret ingredient - mini chocolate chips.

I mixed the chocolate chips in.

The last thing to do is mix in the oats.

Here is what it looks like when done.

I scraped down the bowl and then licked the spoon. C'mon, you do it too!

Using rounded Tablespoons I formed a dozen balls on my baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 13 minutes.

Move to a wire rack to cool. This recipe makes three dozen cookies.

These smell delightful! I hope someone serving in our military will get these and be reminded of home. I hope they know how many people here at home are thinking about them and praying for their safe return. I'm proud of our troops and very honored to be participating in Baking GALS.