Do you have a sweet tooth like I do? I like a little sugar every now and then... plus, I am trying to use everything we have in our pantry. If you are one of those self disciplined folks who makes a list when you run out of things, my hat is off to you!
You see, I never do that... I am one of those people who says oh, it's on sale, I will just pick that up and we will have it on hand. And... I am also that person who buys a bunch of things to make Christmas cookies, and then guess what? Christmas has come and gone, and Cara did not make the cookies as promised.
My focus in my down time is nonexistent. Once I have a project on my brain, you might as well forget the other 100 projects I have lined up. The others will fall away and that one project will become my only focus.
It makes me laugh when folks I have worked with over the years say, there is no way you are like that Cara. You always seem so disciplined and never lose focus. My work personality is nothing like my nonwork personality. Do you know anyone like that? Please tell me I am not the only one! Well, you showed up for a recipe, so I will tell you all about it, and then some since you know how off topic I like to get. HA!
So... I decided why not use those butterscotch chips I picked up to make cookies with. My methods may be somewhat obscure, but hey, isn't that how new recipes are created? My grandmother would cringe hearing me say that! She likes to follow recipes to a tee. I often wonder if the recipes she has followed all these years of her mother's were made up like I tend to do?
The more I learn about my great grandmother, the more I think hey, we are a lot alike! She often marched to the beat of a different drum, and she used items she had readily available in her home, so like me.
Gluten free butterscotch oatmeal cookies aka Oatmeal Scotchies
What you will need for Oatmeal scotchies:
- 1/2 c gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/2 c almond flour
- 1 c oats
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 c real butter
- 1/2 c brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 t vanilla
- butterscotch chips
What you need to do:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, I lined my pan with my KitchenAid silicone baking mat (I love this thing! Cookies slide off, and no sticking, and no waste using parchment paper in the oven)
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla
- Add in dry ingredients. (If you are a true baker, you would want to mix all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl set aside and then fold in dry ingredients slowly to your sugar and butter mixture), but if you are like me, then you just fold in the dry ingredients one at a time, as they are listed (I never do what I am supposed to, I am a rebel when it comes to cooking and baking)
- Add in your butterscotch chips while the mixer is running to give them a good mix. I just never seem to be able to stir them in by hand and get them all through the dough if I do not do this.
- Scoop dough onto your baking pans, evenly spacing them on the baking sheet
- Bake for 10 minutes, 12 if you like them a little crispy
- Let cool, then gobble them all up!
**I am sure some of you see I did not mention how many butterscotch chips to use for this recipe. I measured out 3/4 cup and had very little left over, so I threw in the whole bag. I did not want to store that small amount, not knowing what I would use them for, so I threw caution to the wind and decided to live on the wild side a bit ~ I know, I am such a rebel rouser!**
I started baking when I was young, like 3-4 years old. I have shared the story of me deciding to bake cookies one day while my mother was on the phone before, but we have so many new faces, I thought I would share it again.
My mom was one of those mothers who was able to stay home when we were little, and she had to speak with her mother daily. The conversation would end up being about an hour long, every day! What on earth they had to talk about for so long I have no idea. What four year old do you know who is that patient? I was not, in case you were wondering... that hour was like a lifetime to me.
I got all of the ingredients out and the mixing bowl and mixer. We will just call me an independent child, not stubborn, or strong minded... we will have none of that around here. Yes, I loved to help in the kitchen, and I really did know how to measure at that age. I also knew where this recipe was kept, and probably had it memorized because it was my favorite.
I began measuring out all of the ingredients, but I had never mixed by myself. I was told I needed to wait, well.... I decided I could do it all on my own, I was putting those big girl panties on and I was going to run that mixer. Yep, about sums up how I was as a child. I loved to do things on my own, no help needed!
You see, my mixing skills have not evolved much over time, I would measure and add all of the ingredients and dump them into the bowl. I put the mixer down in the batter, but did not think about turning the mixer off before I pulled it back up.
My mother had a Sunbeam stand mixer similar to this one and I just pulled that arm back, and chocolate chip cookie dough went flying! I mean everywhere! It was on the ceiling, on the cupboards, on the cupboards across the kitchen, on the floor (did I mention we had carpet in the kitchen, it was 1980 afterall). It was everywhere!
I remember thinking how am I going to get myself out of this one? I started to cry because I knew this would mean big trouble for me. I was supposed to wait, but my overzealous attitude got the best of me. Well, let's just say when my mother came out to the kitchen, and I was trying my best to clean up what I could, she said weren't you supposed to wait for help before you mixed the cookies? I said yes, all red faced, and tears streaming down my face. I think personally she thought it was comical, let's just say we were still cleaning up when my dad walked in the door and asked what do we have here?
I, of course told on myself, and I learned a valuable lesson that day. Sometimes I cannot do it all myself. Too bad I have forgotten that as an adult. See, I needed the reminder too! It's ok to ask for help, but you also have to be patient when someone is available to help. My goodness, I sure do love reminiscing with you all. I remember that day baking chocolate chip cookies like it was yesterday!
I recall as a child butterscotch oatmeal cookies, or as my mom called them Oatmeal Scotchies were one of my favorites. I loved the butterscotch flavor, and as an adult? I still like them. It had been years since I had them, and I was happy to find I still think they are pretty good. Some things I loved as a child are not so great as an adult. I wonder why this is? Mr. VS said they were pretty good and did not taste like a gluten free cookie so he was pleased with the outcome.
You may ask why I used almond flour and all purpose flour? I only had 1/2 cup of the all purpose flour left, and so I tried adding in the almond flour. I have also learned a trick, if once you have your dough all mixed together, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes you will not have that gritty texture to your cookies either. The dough somewhat rises too, all learned by mistake of course. I had my dough all mixed up one evening and had to take a phone call, when I came back, my dough was much fuller like bread when it rises (ok, not that big, but the dough was much more fluffy?). I did not know that happened, so when baking with almond flour I now let it sit for a few minutes and it seems to work out perfectly!
We are getting closer to the weekend. Do you have any plans since the weather seems to be slowly making it's way to spring? We had snow last weekend, and this weekend? Tut tut, it looks like rain ~ Christopher Robin. I so love my Winnie-the-Pooh! Hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy yourself. Stop and smell those flowers every chance you get!
