There is something about the smell of cookies that will warm anyone’s heart. The blending of butter, chocolate and sugar makes for an amazing aroma to spruce your house up with on a winter day. Who needs scented candles when you can enjoy the smell of sweets in the oven.
Cookies can be divided into two major categories: soft and chewy or crispy. Most people who like cookies have a favorite.
I prefer a chewy cookie. And let me classify — chewy but not puffy. I personally don’t like cake-like, often puffy, cookies.
The prefect blend, for me at least, is if the edges are a little crispy and the inside is chewy. How you make that cookie is the secret of any good baker.
I have always had a knack for cookies, though I don’t consider myself a particularly great baker. I believe everyone should have a good cookie recipe in their repertoire. Just find one that you like and have been able to make at least twice and turned out well and use that.
I like a good chocolate chip cookie but like to add a little something different to make it special.
Recently I wanted to make a batch. It was cold. I was going to a party, and a bag of cookies seemed like a good idea. I started with my basic recipe. While I was getting the baking stuff out, I came across a bag of homemade marshmallows I had bought over the holidays and never used.
I debated throwing them in but was a little afraid. I didn’t know if it would mess up the consistency of the cookie and I already had a lot of “add-ins.” Feeling a little brave and inventive, I decided to go for it.
The dough was thick and I was worried I overdid it as I stirred the mixture. As I put the first batch in, I was still unsure, but when I removed the finished product from the oven and set it out to cool I knew it was going to be a success.
They were delicious warm, and even better as they cooled.
After a little research, I learned a few tips to make sure your cookies turn out well. Make sure that you use fresh baking soda. If you want a crispier finish, you can use margarine or shortening (which I don’t necessarily advocate because they are more processed ingredients).
The way you store them helps to maintain the desired consistency. Don’t put them away until they are completely cooled. Make sure you store them in an air-tight container so they don’t get soggy (I think a tin works well).
As always, substitute ingredients as desired. The oatmeal is essential, but the other add-ins (coconut, toffee, chips, and marshmallows) can be swapped out for other things such as nuts or cut up candy bars. And like them or not, the marshmallows add something special, so I wouldn’t recommend cutting them out. They dissolve into the cookie anyway so nobody will know they are there.
The Dish — The Best Cookies
Ingredients
- One bag of Heath toffee chips
- 1 cup of mini marshmallows
- One bag of mini, semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup of shredded coconut
- 1 cup of instant oatmeal
- 2 cups of all purpose flour
- ¾ cup of baking sugar
- ¾ cup of light brow sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325-degrees. With an electric or hand mixer, blend the butter and sugar until it is fluffy and well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour, salt and baking soda ingredients and blend until combined.
- By hand, stir in the oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chips, toffee and marshmallows.
- Place small scoops of the dough onto a baking dish and cook for 8-12 minutes, checking until they are lightly brown but not completely set in the middle. Remove from the oven and let sit for about a minute. Remove carefully from the tray and place onto a cooling wrack. Cool until they are room temperature and store in an air-tight container.
