I love playing around with this recipe! This is my base cookie recipe and The Ultimate Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. You really don’t need another one. If you got this one in your back pocket, you can pretty much put any nut, chip, spice, extract, dried fruit in and impress anyone, including yourself (or maybe I’m just easily impressed!). Here I have one base recipe with 4 variations I made last weekend. The first gone was the Almond and Craisin White Chocolate Chip variation, but it was a close one with the Mint Chocolate Chip disappearing moments later.

Cookies

Last year I made these into gifts by putting all dry ingredients into jars. From what I’ve learned over the last few years of being involved and volunteering and my child’s school, sometimes office staff and teachers are also overwhelmed by all the amazing treats they are given during this season. What’s better than being able to make cookies whenever you want after you’ve run out of all those tasty treats you’ve been indulging in? Once you give yourself a break from that New Year’s Resolution. Simple hand-written instructions with only 2 extra ingredients to add gives you the classic cookies of the season in less than 20 minutes. You can’t get better than that!

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Ingredients for the Base:

2 Sticks Butter
3/4 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
3 Cups Old-Fashioned Oats

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Melt 2 sticks butter slightly
3. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar
4. Add eggs and beat
5. Add flour
6. Add oats
7. Mix together all ingredients
8. Bake for 12 minutes on parchment paper

For the jar instructions all you have to do is add softened butter and the eggs and mix thoroughly. Yes, it’s out of order, and but, wait! we’re baking! we have to cream things first. And, yes, it does make some difference, but if you flatten the balls when you’re placing the dough onto cookie sheets, they will turn out, I promise!

Variation #1 – Add slivered almonds, white chocolate chips (regular chocolate chips work, too), craisins (pomegranate flavored ones), dried sweetened coconut and orange zest. 

Variation #2 – Add  mint chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coffee extract and dried sweetened coconut.

Variation #3 – Add walnuts, semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon cinnamon and orange zest.

Variation #4 – Omit 1/2 the oats, milk chocolate chips and coconut. This variation came out like Milano cookies, part of that was because I did them last and the butter had melted enough that they spread a bit. You can firm up dough by putting it in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking, if needed. 

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