Traveler In The Kitchen: Hint of Spice Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Last weekend I was inspired to make two different kinds of cookies (here's the other one). Cookies cannot stay at home, so these went straight away to work to be shared with all and sundry. Please note the plate in this picture....that's the only fall color I'll be seeing this year other than on Facebook. It's also the only fall decoration that I have at all. So it's possible you'll be seeing it again.

It's hard to believe it's mid-October already. Halloween is a big thing in Lahaina, one of the biggest parties in the world, or so I'm told. My family is coming for Thanksgiving this year and then then Surfing Santa will be back up on display in Ka'anapali and a new year will be on the way!

I love oatmeal cookies, but not oatmeal raisin. I've always swapped the raisins for chocolate chips, and these cookies are no exception. A little cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice gives you a hint of fall flavors.

Sit back with a cup of coffee and a cookie. Enjoy October before it slips away.

What You Need

2 sticks butter or margarine, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg (3.4 oz) vanilla pudding mix
2 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dark chocolate chips

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350° and line your cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl combine butter/margarine with both granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium speed for several minutes until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time. Then add the vanilla and the maple syrup.

In a separate bowl, combine all your dry ingredients: flour, pudding mix, soda, salt, and spices. Slowly add to the wet mixture and beat to combine. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and either beat at slow speed or stir in with a spoon.

I used a small cookie scoop and made about 3 dozen cookies. Bake 11-12 minutes if you like soft oatmeal cookies. Allow cookies to cool a few minutes before removing them to a wire rack.

Recipe slightly adapted from Beyond Frosting

Meanwhile in Maui...

actually Oahu....

Last week I flew to Oahu for a conference. Oahu is smaller than Maui with a significantly bigger population. I read an article this year that referred to the traffic in Honolulu as soul-sucking. Oahu actually has three interstate highways, H1, H2 and H3. I was only there for a little over 24 hours, so didn't have time to explore Waikiki very much other than note that there are lots of people and an ABC store every 20 feet. When I checked into the hotel, they had a farmer's market in the lobby that was awesome.