Can't-Have-Just-One Cookie Recipe

A few months ago, I finally found the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe on the bottom of the lid of the Quaker Oats container. Then last week, I was desperately craving carrot cake. I needed to bake some kind of carrot cake-ish goody. I got an idea--carrot cake, oatmeal cookies. I used the Quaker Oats recipe as a base but put a twist on it.

So here it is for anyone that happens to read this and loves cookies. :) They are easy to bake and are oh so good for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.

Ingredients

*1 1/2 sticks butter--Smart Balance is great if you haven't tried it, half butter, half canola oil (add 2 tbsp. for moister texture)
*1 cup light brown sugar
*1/2 cup granulated sugar
*2 eggs
*1 tsp. vanilla
*1 1/2 cups flour
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/4 tsp. salt
*3 cups rolled oats
*1/4 cup cooked carrots (chopped in food processor)
*1/3 cup toasted walnuts
*2/3 cup chocolate chips or craisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Peel 2 full-size carrots and chop into 3-inch pieces. Steam until a fork can be inserted through the pieces with ease. This takes about ten to fifteen minutes, so you can continue on to the following steps in the meantime.

3. Toast walnuts for about five minutes. You'll smell a lovely aroma when they're done, but it is easy to forget about them!

4. Beat butter and sugars until smooth.

5. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat.

6. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and beat.

7. Add oats, walnuts, carrots, craisins or chocolate chips. Stir if you are without a stand mixer until well blended; mix on lowest speed if you have a stand mixer.

8. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

9. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

YUM! I usually keep baked goods in the freezer, because they always seem to taste even better when chilled. They'll also keep longer this way, although we never have to worry about this at my house anyways.