Chewy Cookie Butter Granola

Sometimes failure turns into a beautiful thing.

I mean, take the 80s, for instance. Mismatched earrings, stirrup pants, gigantic bangs...there are a few things that I am definitely not sad to see go. But on the other hand, I find myself owning and wearing an increasing amount of neon that just doesn't get old! It's like I'm walking around in multicolored bits of sunshine!

Which leads perfectly into my next comment. The sun is shining and it should feel like spring out there! But instead it's freezing cold and I'm a little sad. So, I decided to attempt (yet again) a batch of chewy granola bars...which turned into a complete and utter fail since they didn't seem to have any desire to remain in anything slightly resembling a bar shape.

So, I gave my crumbles a few tweaks and voila! Chewy granola! This stuff is a perfect ice cream topper, yogurt mix-in or whatever...just eat some!

Chewy Cookie Butter Granola [click to print]

• 1/4 c. butter, melted
• 1/4 c. agave nectar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. Speculoos Cookie Butter
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 c. quick oats (not rolled)
• 1 c. unsweetened puffed rice cereal
• 3/4 c. cinnamon chips

1) For thicker bars, line 8" square pan with parchment paper or 9" square pan for thinner bars. In large bowl, combine oats and cereal; set aside. 

2) In saucepan, stir together butter, agave and sugar, stirring over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high until mixture begins bubbling. Reduce to low heat and allow to cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cookie butter, vanilla and salt. Pour cookie butter mixture over dry ingredients and stir immediately to evenly coat, making sure there aren't any dry pieces.

4) In separate bowl, melt 1/2 c.cinnamon chips in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each nuke, until smooth. Stir into oatmeal mixture. Spread mixture onto prepared pan and sprinkle remaining cinnamon chips over mixture. Refrigerate until firm.

Source: Adapted from Bakerita

Thick and Chewy Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Unfortunately for my waist line, I have the bad habit of feeding my feelings with delicious (and occasionally average) desserts. My family has been struggling with some sad, hard things lately, so cookies are kind of a staple.

Last month when I was home for a visit, my mom reminded me how much she loved my Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with a generous serving of brown butter, and gently suggested that an oatmeal cookie version would probably be one of the tastiest things in the world.

Oh, mom. You are right again!

Thick and Chewy Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies [click to print]
Makes a lot...I let some ravenous friends/family start devouring before I counted...I'll update you when I have more self control!

• 1 c. unsalted butter
• 1 c. brown sugar, packed
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, large, lightly beaten
• 3 c. old-fashioned oats
• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

2) Brown the butter. To do this, heat butter in saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously, until the butter turns a golden brown color. It's totally normal for it to hiss and bubble a lot in the first few minutes, but then it will calm down and look a little frothy on the surface. Watch closely at this point, and keep heating until the butter turns a dark gold color. This will take about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

3) Combine butter and sugars in mixing bowl and cream until well combined. Slowly add eggs, in about two additions, mixing well between each addition. Whisk together remaining ingredients and slowly add in about three to four additions, scraping sides as needed. 

4) Scoop dough by heaping teaspoons onto baking sheet, spacing about 1-1/2" apart. Bake 7-8 minutes or until tops of cookies are no longer shiny. Or...you can go for gigantic cookies and scoop by 1/4 c. dough but you'll definitely be baking them longer, so keep an eye on them until the tops aren't shiny and the edges are just barely set. Allow to cool on baking sheet about 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. 

Source: Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

It started when I flipped through some old recipe cards and found one my friend gave me for her famous chocolate chip cookies my freshman year at BYU. Then I was surfing through recipes and blogs and came across 52 Kitchen Adventures' Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge (deadline to contribute is tomorrow!). And then I was over at another friend's house whipping out a batch of choux pastry and she pulled out a giant Costco bag of chocolate chips and said I could have them, she didn't know what to do with that many chocolate chips.

Seriously? I got this.

I have dreamed for years about the biggest, fattest, chewiest with a hint of crisp crust around the edges, beautiful chocolate chip cookies for years. I know, I may have a problem.

Also, these make excellent ice cream sandwiches.

Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies [click to print]
makes about 16 cookies

• 3/4 c. unsalted butter 
• 2 c. plus 2 T. flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 egg, whole
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 325 F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper or coat generously with nonstick cooking spray. 

2) Over medium low heat, melt butter and continue heating, stirring occasionally, until browned. It will start off really bubbly and loud and then quiet down. Pay close attention at this point and watch the butter; as soon as it turns a beautiful amber color and starts smelling like caramel, remove from heat. There will be little brown bits at the bottom of the pan and that's good, so stop worrying. 

3) Whisk together flour, soda and salt; set aside. Combine sugars and browned butter in mixing bowl and beat until well incorporated, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk and vanilla; continue beating until smooth again, about 30 seconds. 

4) Slowly add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Chill at least 30 min. (Don't skip the chilling part like I did on the first pan, or you'll get flat cookies and that's no bueno.)

5) Scoop dough onto prepared pan and bake 15-20 minutes. Edges of cookies should be set and firm to touch while centers are puffy and soft still. Allow cookies to cool on pan about 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. 

Source: Adapted from America's Test Kitchen