Spiced Oatmeal Cookies!!

Remember that time when I said I was going to include a tutorial for how to do your own backyard movie party?

Well. That’s not happening this week.

Mostly because I’d be photographing the process in our backyard, which is currently the nesting ground for about a billion mosquitoes and Rob and I would probably get all manner of mosquito-borne diseases and would never get to do our Killer Tomatoes Eat France party!!!

So here’s this instead. And it’s still in the spirit of wishing that fall was here ;)

The fun thing about these is that I INVENTED THEM ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!! (So don't tell me if you don't like them.)

Also fun is the fact that I combined two of the fallsiest things (namely, mulling spices and oatmeal cookies) into one delicious snack. Making these is like doing some sort of welcome-fall rain dance. Not to toot my own horn, but…. *bum ba da dummm* Spiced Oatmeal Cookies!!!!

Spiced Oatmeal Cookies

These are an adaptation of Robin’s Granny’s cookies. Even though they're actually quite different. That’s okay.

1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 
1 tsp. orange zest (about 1/3rd of an orange)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
A small dash of salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs
1 ½ c. white flour
1/3 c. whole wheat flour (or just an additional 1/3 c. of white flour)
3 1/3 c. rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream sugar, brown sugar and butter with a hand mixer until they are VERY fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, ginger and orange zest.

Add in your flours and oats. The mixture should be pretty thick. I've usually ditched the electric mixer by now.

Roll your dough into small balls and place on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. This keeps them from burning onto the pan and you can just throw away the paper afterwards which means one less dish to wash!

(No offense, Environment. I’m just draining Lake Travis trying to hand wash all my friggin’ dishes.)

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

This could probably also be really great if you substituted almond meal for the whole wheat flour, or used apple pie spice in place of pumpkin pie spice. You could even get crazy and incorporate a little bit of apple or pumpkin butter! 

**Granny suggests putting a slice of white bread or apple slices in the container with the stored cookies to keep them moist and fresh.

Ideally, these should be eaten with friends and family, everyone all be-sweatered and gleeful because you’ve turned the AC in your house down to 65 for the sake of the party. Or if your friends aren’t readily available, maybe just get a book and some coffee, and spare the electric bill. Even better yet!! Wait for fall, have your backyard movie party and make these!! There. Everyone's happy.

You're welcome, Environment.