Advent Shadowbox: Day 26, “Santa Baby” Cookies

December 22, 2011
26th Day of Advent
3 Days ’til Christmas

Make Mama’s Famous “Santa Baby” Cookies

Ingredients

1 c unsalted butter, softened
1.5 c brown sugar
.5 c granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
.5 tsp salt
1 c oats
2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 skor bars, crushed
OR
.5 – 1 c toffee bits
1 c flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
1 c chopped pecans
__________________

Method

Heat oven to 350f.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.
Separately, mix flour, salt and baking soda.
Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
Separately, mix chocolate chips, toffee bits, oatmeal, coconut and pecans.
Add these mixins to the cookie batter, mixing first by machine, then, fully incorporating with spatula.
This dough is very stiff and bursting with mixins.
Drop 1-2 tbs of dough 2 inches apart on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes.

_____________

When I was in university, I attempted to recreate the cookies I used to pick up from a special coffee shop way back home in California…These were called “Taylor’s Mom’s Cookies.”  Aside from the “It’s-It’s” (a chocolate dipped oatmeal cookie and mint-chip icecream sandwich), they were the only sweets from Cali that I ever really craved on those freezing cold nights in Chicago.  I managed to recreate the cookie a few times in my famished, munchie-loving college stupors.  A few years ago, I went back to the drawing board and attempted to create a family recipe now dubbed the “Santa Baby.”  They’ve been a hit. My kids request them every year.  Don’t worry, folks, if there are tons of extra mixins in the bottom of the bowl…It’s the only way we’ve managed to make sure each cookie is choc-full of mixins…You can always use whatever crumbly bits are left over to top sugar cookies or to garnish your favourite zucchini or banana breads before baking.

Here’s a look at today’s Advent Shadowbox Insert:

____________

And here’s the Advent Shadowbox from afar:

__________________________________

Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning