Oatmeal PB cookies

So I was just in nyc and had to stop by Carlos famous bakery. I had never been before and was super excited! What a fun shop! The customer service was fantastic. When you come through the doors, you immediately understand that it's a busy place. There are ropes to direct customers and foot traffic in the cramped, restricted, narrow, crowded downtown city space. So after stepping down a few steps, getting in line, and thinking this might take awhile, each new customer is surprised by a friendly face asking how many are in your party. As you approach the beginning of the lighted display cases filled with scrumptious treats, someone is assigned to you, and he or she in our takes your order on the ipad they are holding. They accompany you all the way through the rest of the line and is available for questions, and to help you in any way they can. The large menu is tastefully printed on the wall like art.  It's a big menu and there is a lot to choose from. So it feels streamlined to get a large number of people in and out quickly with the ropes and the ipads, but you also feel like you're getting special service, not just another number in the big city. So they had all these amazing desserts that must've taken crazy skill, years of experience or special training, special equipment, but we just ended up getting cookies so we could eat and walk. I haven't had pb cookies in years so I got one. It was sweet, dense, full of flavor and moist - you know they're not making low sugar, low fat, healthy anything in this place. Great cookie! But since I am not fond of that elevated level of sugar on a regular basis, I made something a little bit lighter for my family at home. Here's my lightened up version borrowed from this fun blog, Bless This Mess. Click on the name to go to the original recipe :) 

Makes 3-4 dozen or so depending on the size of your cookie

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (1 stick) 
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (no sugar added - just peanuts, salt, and oil) 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (also called instant or minute oats)* If you cannot find these you can put the in the blender or food processor for a few pulses. 
• 2 cups whole wheat white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 oz single package, or measured from a jar, or toddler puree pouch of unsweetened apple sauce

Easy Steps: 

1. Mix all the butter, sugar, and pb together until creamy

2. Add in all the rest of the wet ingredients

3. Add in the dry ingredients
4. Mix well

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
6. When you roll the dough into ball, flatten it a little with your fingers or a fork 

7. Bake for 10- 12 minutes or until the edges look done
8.They are crumbly and super soft when you remove them from the oven so let them cool on the pan for a couple minutes
9.Then move them to a cookie rack to finish cooling. 

Happy Cookie Eating! 
Stephanie