November 21, 2012

Oatmeal almond chocolate chip cookies


I don't know how many times I've been to Richa's blog and decided on the spot to make whatever she had just made because it looked so good — but somehow I never do.


For example, did you happen to see the month of pizzas she created for veganmofo? Or the Diwali treats she's been featuring. Everything looks so wonderful that it drives me a little crazy. When I saw her oatmeal almond chocolate chunk cookies, I decided I needed to make some right away to have on hand when my Thanksgiving company starts arriving Thursday morning.


You never know when someone might need a cookie, so I made a batch, and tucked them in the freezer. They will be perfect to have around on a day when lots of food will be consumed because they are satisfying without being overly sweet or rich.

Of course, I meddled just a little with the recipe. I didn't have chocolate chunks (much to my dismay) so I used chips — extra chips, actually, 3/4 of a cup. And I used two tablespoons of melted coconut oil (instead of no oil), 1/4 cup of sugar and added 1/4 teaspoon of cardamom and some vanilla extract. Crispy, lightly coconut-scented cookies with a LOT of chocolate chips were my (and my guests) reward. I made 18 cookies. Richa's basic cookie recipe is especially great because it seems so wonderfully adaptable — a little more or less oil or sweetener, extra chocolate chips, spice — it's all good. Very good!

Get Richa's recipe here. And see how she made a beautiful and clever gift-jar of cookie mix.

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Thanksgiving is about sharing


In other news, our cat friend, Lucy, was relatively unfazed by the new addition to our household, and Callie (her name, we think) was perfectly willing to share her meal. This unexpected sight had me running for the camera!



Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

34 comments:

  1. your cat and dog are soooooo adorable! those cookies look amazing

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    1. Thank you, but only the dog is mine. The cat is a frequent visitor who lives in the 'hood.

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  2. I love Richa's blog, and had my eye on those yummy-looking cookies.
    So sweet how your little dog (are you calling her Callie then?) has been welcomed into the home, or at least is being tolerated by Lucy!

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    1. Everything Richa makes looks yummy! Lucy doesn't actually live here although sometimes that's hard to tell. She belongs to a neighbor but is a frequent guest at our house who makes herself right at home.

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  3. That happens to me all the time! As soon as I see a tasty looking recipe I decide to make it ASAP, but then I get distracted and forget about it. The cookies look absolutely perfect with all those chocolate chips!

    Lucy and (possibly) Callie are instant BFFs! So sweet! Has Callie "spoken" yet?

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    1. I'm not sure I'd call them BFFs — Callie is willing but Lucy has her reservations. We tried to leave Callie alone in the house while we ran an errand and she actually started crying! At least I know she has working vocal chords. She ended up coming with us and has been silent ever since.

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  4. Wow--Lucy is one brave cat! And Callie (?) must be a *very* sweet dog to allow Lucy to eat out of the same bowl--I don't know too many dogs that would put up with that, lol! You have some great pets :-)

    Courtney

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    1. Lucy is a cat-about-town and Callie is very mellow. Today she uttered her first objection — to being left behind when we went out.

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  5. Richa's blog is new to me, so thanks for sharing this post and the link! I love the cookie-mix-in-a-jar gift idea!

    I absolutely adore the photos of Lucy and Callie sharing the food. That's just beautiful. I think Lucy SHOULD live with you, she fits so perfectly with your family. And I'm so excited about your rescuing Callie!

    Happy Thankfulness Day to you, Ken, Callie and Lucy, Andrea! xoxo

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    1. Lucy likes to scratch our furniture which I don't like. We've gotten her a scratching post and tried to clearly explain the situation to her but she can't seem to remember how I feel about this issue.

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  6. Ah, that would be an issue. Maybe you could put little slippers on her front feet when she comes to visit. :-)

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  7. Aw, such sweetness! I'm glad to see that they were sharing so nice.

    I just made some chocolate chip cookies for Mike last night. He's been working 12+ hour days all week & I thought those would help perk him up a bit. :)

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    1. Chocolate chip cookies to the rescue! I'm sure he appreciated them. Hope the 12-hour days won't go on too long.

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  8. aww. that is pure sweetness. the cat and the new dog getting along so well together. if they share food then all is well:) Have you decided on the name yet?
    Thanks for trying out the cookies! i love the amount of choc chips per cookie:) i keep making variations of these every few weeks until i cant take chocolate anymore then its cranberries, raisins, spices, and the lots.

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    1. i have some more Pizzas in the drafts :) october was insane:) Happy thanksgiving!

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  9. The cookies look fab--but more importantly, your furry cookies look fab. That last photo brought a happy little tear to my eye. Happy Thanksgiving, Andrea and crew xo

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    1. Thank you, Dynise. The furries are both so interested in what's being served they barely notice one another.

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  10. Despite the vast quantities of dessert that are likely to grace our table for Thanksgiving feast, I sure wish these cookies were part of the spread, too. They look so fantastic, and chocolate chip cookies are always such crowd pleaser. Oh well, there's always time to bake after the big event! :)

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    1. These cookies are perfect to bake on the spur of the moment — so fast and easy!

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  11. Hope you had a very Happy Thanksgiving! And your fur babies sure do look happy together. SO sweet! And it sounds as if Callie is already quite attached. She looks like such a darling!

    I drool over Richa's recipes, too! She links up to Wellness Weekend most weeks, so I get to see them twice that way. ;) Love the look of those cookies! :D

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    1. I was not quite as thrilled as usual with the main dish on Thanksgiving, but it's making great leftovers! If only I'd known, I could have made it the day before. :)

      Callie is VERY attached, and now we're working on getting her to be able to deal with my leaving the house. She's a fast learner so I'm hopeful it won't take long.

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  12. These cookies look SO good, and the animal love is too cute!

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    1. I froze the leftovers, and they even taste great frozen!

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  13. So Callie is friendly as well as adorable; good to know. The purple collar goes well with her silver coloring. It takes a lot to upstage a cookie, but she did!

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    1. She is equally friendly, fearless and adorable, and is coming out of her shell more each day. We have heard her bark, but not much, as she is a very selective barker. We're madly in love with her!

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  14. Cookies and kitties - that's a great combination! I love Richa's blog too - I only discovered it during MoFo, but it's been a popular addition to my reading list!

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    1. I agree. We should have cookies, kitties and dogs around at all times!

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  15. Hahaha.. I love the gorgeous look on the cat "Why are you letting the dog eat my food?! Why are you standing idly by?!".

    And those cookies look great!

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    1. I think the cookies are excellent, but they may be too healthy for you. :D At first the cat was nonplussed at finding Callie here, now she's being mean and hissing.

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  16. Richa is such a talent! I know what you mean about salivating over her recipes but not always getting into the kitchen right away to make them. I have loads of her recipes on my to-make list!

    That's so sweet that Lucy & Callie actually shared a food bowl! That's no small thing. Our cats are always so intimidated by dogs, they disappear until the dogs have left. I can't imagine them getting comfortable enough to eat at all when a dog is around, let alone to share a bowl!

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    1. I think the next Richa recipe I make will be the GF oat pizza crust — that is if I can stop making the cookies!

      Lucy is a very brave cat, but we're really worried about her because we haven't seen her in at least two weeks. I hope she's OK.

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  17. I've been eye-balling Richa's cookie recipe for awhile- it's good to know that it's a winner! I will have to get on that!

    And again- I'm loving your little animal family! :-)

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    1. It's the perfect recipe to play around with because while the cookies come out great just as it's written, there's lots of room for creativity as well.

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