Changes, hints and thoughts for the future:

- I love oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies...add some coconut and some walnuts and that only makes them that much better (and as my mom would say, "that much better for you!")

- Martha says on her website that "these cookies are so basic you can mix everything by hand; this helps to avoid overbeating, which may toughen the dough" -- admittedly, I beat the butter and sugars with my Kitchenaid and then hand mixed everything else...I just didn't want to beat butter by hand after almost breaking my poor hand the day before, squeezing out 160 miniature pansies for that cake!

 

 

 

Kitchen Sink Cookies

*From Martha Stewart's recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light-brown sugar
2  large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnut

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl with a wooden spoon, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add oats, chips, coconut, raisins, and walnuts, and stir until well blended.
4. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons or with a 1 ounce ice-cream scoop onto silpat about 2 inches apart. Press tops down with the bottom of a glass to flatten cookies evenly. Bake until golden, about 16 to 18 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and finish cooling completely on wire rack.