Alexia’s Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

I consider myself a generally clean person. You know, clean out the trash in my car every few days or so. Wash my face before bed. Brush my teeth etc. etc.

But cleaning out my room this past week made me think I must be all wrong. Things I found during this scrub down consisted of: 39 belts (THIRTY NINE). I don’t even wear belts that much. I didn’t realize that my affinity to buy a belt every time I go to the thrift store had gotten that out of control.

Other things I found: A stack of unopened mail. Woops. So much dust around my shoes like what? Maybe because I’ve only been wearing 4 out of my 40 pairs of shoes for the past 5 months or so. A lack of variety in my life has led to dusty shoes.

There were approximately 7 to 13 blank notebooks/journals/mini moleskins, a CD from the band I used to be in still in its packaging, as well as plastic dinosaur. At least 10 scarves (I live in Florida), and a flat soccer ball. So much loose change, and cassette tapes for days.

I’ve never carried around a big purse just because I don’t know what I would put in it, but this room cleaning session has me thinking that I would fill that purse UP in no time with so much useless nonsense.

So these cookies are to a year of more footwear variety and less belts. So many less belts.

These cookies are my friend Alexia’s absolute faavvvooorriiitteee thing I bake, and she never fails at reminding me of this (and also that she lives out of town, and what her address is, and how much she loves me)….Well Alexia, I love you too. Now read this closely and learn how to make them yourself.

We start with the traditional cookie foundation. Butter. Sugar. Love.

Beat dat buttah and sugah until fluffity.

Dry ingredients are added to our butter sugar mashup until just combined. Over beating this step causes the starches in the flour to start breaking apart, making for a tougher, gummier cookie. This is no bueno. Same goes for cakes, too!

Then we fold in the butterscotch and oatmeal goods. So magical.

I use a small ice cream scoop to portion out my cookies, but you can just eyeball a heaping tablespoonful if this tool is not in your kitchen!

Cookies = baked for 8 minutes. Since oven temperatures usually vary, I would keep a close eye on these cookies starting at the 7 minute mark. They should take no longer than 10 minutes, and you don’t want to over bake, because they will continue to bake after you pull them out of the oven. They are also a softer and chewier cookie, so over baking would deter from this beautiful consistency.

Let’s not deter.

These cookies can be stacked. These cookies can be shared. These cookies should be eaten. Maybe immediately.

Now go dust off your shoes.

OATMEAL BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

Makes 3 dozen cookies

2 cups light brown sugar

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

On medium speed of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla. Add your dry ingredients all at once, mixing on low until just combined and only a few flour bits remain. Mix in the rest of the flour with a spoon.

Fold in oatmeal and butterscotch chips. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating your cookie sheets halfway through.

Let cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving to a rack.

Much cookie love to you!