The Cookie Jar – Oatmeal Scotchies

As the holidays approach, we all will either host or attend any numbers of parties and gatherings. Your Two Chums would like to offer you, over the next several weeks, some of our favorite cookie recipes to serve or give as hostess gifts.  Today’s recipe offering is for Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies….aka Oatmeal Scotchies.

When our youngest daughter, Amanda, was in elementary school, she and her best friend, Stefanie, decided to enter a school baking contest.  The competition included students (mostly those from Junior high school) and parents alike.  Oatmeal Butterscotch cookies were what Amanda and Stefanie came up with as their entry of choice.  I was proud of them for even wanting to try, given that they had never made anything entirely on their own before.  But to my amazement not only did they successfully enter the competition, they won first prize!

I think it was then and there that Amanda’s love of baking has its roots….and why not?  I’ve never even entered such a contest much less won first place, and she was only about 10 years old at the time!  The judges didn’t know who made any of the entries so it was a win, fair and square.  And no wonder, these cookies really are that good….try them and you’ll see what I mean.  Make them as a part of a dessert table or take them wrapped up in cellophane as a hostess gift.

Either way, everyone will have that wonderful sense of abundant living when you offer these cookies with love and joy 🙂

Oatmeal Scotchies

Makes about 48 cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 (11-oz. pkg.) Nestle Tollhouse Butterscotch morsels

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter and sugars, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon or use a small ice cream scoop to measure dough and drop onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Increase the time to 9 to 10 minutes if you prefer a crisper cookie. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.