Chocolate Chip PB Oatmeal Cookies

Sometimes simple things are the very best. In a world where we place  so much emphasis on what we don't have, there are so many easy ways to please ourselves, and I'm on a mission to enjoy the simple things in life. I was hanging out with my niece recently, and I saw how excited she got about puddles. She would scream, spin around, giggle, and jump her little self into them with her pink golashes, so pleased with a puddle of dirty water and mud. I considered this as a metaphor for my grown-up self, that I should enjoy the little things with the kind of relish my adorable little niece does. 

Splash your  little heart out, JC!

So today on my precious sole day off, I enjoyed sleeping in until 9, going for a long walk with the boyfriend on a gorgeous day, and then a leisurely afternoon of reading and baking. I often am jealous of  laid back people, and realized recently I can be one with a little effort. I think a chill perspective translates to food a lot also, as so many cooks and bakers always want to be impressive and cutting edge. Trying to use the most exotic and trendy ingredients and the coolest techniques for their food. I have always loved simple foods prepared well. Whilst wracking my brain for something to make for an event this week, I thought first of all the hardest, most impressive recipes I have up my sleeve, because I feel like 9  years as a professional baker should make me up my game a bit when making things for others. After much debate (and the realization I am living in poverty and can't afford much right now)I decided to just make one of my oldest, simplest recipes for chocolate chip cookies.

Chocolate Chip PB Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup butter

-1/2 cup -sugar

• -1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• -1/2 cup peanut butter
• -1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• -1 egg
• -1 cup all-purpose flour
• -1 teaspoon baking soda
• -1/4 teaspoon salt
• -1/2 cup rolled oats
• -1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl bowl, cream together the butter,  sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; and stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

 Old school tastiness.

 If you don't like chewy chocolate chip cookies with a rich peanut butter flavor and the crunchy texture of oatmeal, you are clearly a zombie sustaining life only on other humans. Or possibly allergic to peanuts, which is a pretty good excuse...

This is a simple recipe that everybody loves. Things don't always have to be fancy, or covered with lavender flowers and seaweed to be delicious and interesting. Now that I'm in the early part of the year 2000 of my recipe book, I think I'll have to dust off some other recipes from back in the day, when I was learning to be a  sassy little overly caffeinated  bakette. I also like to make this recipe when I can't decide on what kind of cookie to make, it's a combination of PB, oatmeal and the classic chocolate chip, you really can't go wrong.