Wednesday, December 12, 2012

honey.roasted.peanut.butter.oatmeal.scotchies


Finals are done! One semester left and then I'm a REAL nurse. Pure craziness! I'm so excited to get home and start celebrating Christmas. It is so hard to find the Christmas spirit in the busyness of a college campus, even a Christian one. Lucky for me, I had three packages delivered full of Christmas cheer...and some good cookies!! This was my second year participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap (www.fbcookieswap.com)! What a cool idea to unite baking lovers around the world. I love that I get to share my gift with other people and gain a few new blogs to read. 

This year I decided to send honey roasted peanut butter oatmeal scotchies (whew that's a mouthful)! They were so good that I had to make another batch just for the family. I loved the butterscotch chips in with the peanut butter, but I also think that milk chocolate chips would be yummy as well! 

This recipe called for homemade peanut butter, which I had never made before, but let me tell you, I will never buy store bought again. I loved the flavor and it is also probably better for you without all the preservatives. 

I hope that my fellow bloggers who received my cookies liked them as much as I enjoyed making them! Merry Christmas!! 

Also-Because the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap partnered with Cookies for Kids Cancer (cookiesforkidscancer), I got this cool spatula for my donation! Cute!





HONEY ROASTED PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL SCOTCHIES
adapted from: sallysbakingaddiction.com

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup honey roasted peanut butter (see recipe below) or use store bought
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts (I chopped them up)
2/3 cup butterscotch chips

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars together.
3. Add the peanut butter and beat to combine.
4. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
5. Scrape down the sides to ensure everything is mixed together.
6. In separate large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, and baking soda.
7. Slowly add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
8. Fold the extras: peanuts and butterscotch chips.
9. Drop 1-2 Tbsp balls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten very slightly.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
11. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes--will be VERY soft.
12. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.
13. ENJOY! :)

HONEY ROASTED PEANUT BUTTER


1 1/2 cups honey roasted peanuts (you may use plain roasted, salted, or unsalted)

1. Add peanuts in the bowl of a food processor with a blade. 
2. Process until nuts go from coarsely chopped to finely ground.
3. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed.
4. Process again until the peanuts resemble thick and relatively smooth peanut butter.