Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from http://www.food52.com/cooks/13_amanda

Co-founder of food52 and author

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Amanda of Food52.com (one of my favorite websites) adapted a Kentucky State Fair winning recipe and came up with this cookie.  Her adaptations to the original recipe make this a winner in my book.  How can you go wrong with dark chocolate, cocoa, toasted walnuts and oatmeal?  This cookie is slightly crispy on the edges and tender-gooey in the middle.  It’s time to turn on the oven, dust off your mixer and make something good for the soul. Remember to get your ingredients at Lost River Market & Deli, our community-owned grocery store.

MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES (I was able to make 70 cookies.)

Tip:  Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature before beginning.  Chill the dough just a bit so that it’s easier to handle.

1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar (I used dark brown sugar.)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 70% Extra Bittersweet Chocolate.)

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  (Remember that the flour should already be sifted and measured before you get to this point, so really the flour is sifted twice, once when you are prepping your ingredients and again with the cocoa, baking soda and salt.)

Beat the shortening and sugars in a large bowl just enough to blend well. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the oats and chocolate, and mix again. Add the flour mixture, mixing well. Stir in the nuts.

Drop the dough by tablespoon onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until toasted on the edges but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.

Fried Bluegill Fillets

Fried Bluegill Fillets with roasted new potatoes, green bean salad with couscous and Zucchini Casserole

Husband-Tested Recipe from the kitchen of Alice Wootton


My husband is a fisherman. He has a little ten foot aluminum john boat that he bought at K-Mart when he was in his early twenties. (He’s now 65!) I can always count on him to bring home a nice stringer of bluegill. We usually fry up a batch and then freeze the rest in water for later. It’s what my daddy always requests for his birthday dinner. Health food, it’s not, but it's a really nice treat every once in a while. Although you’ll have to find your own source for bluegill, the rest of the ingredients you can find at Lost River Market & Deli. However, if you can’t get your hands on bluegill, you can substitute just about any fish fillets, tilapia, for instance, in this recipe. Leftovers, if you have any, make a fabulous sandwich with fresh local tomatoes, of course! Make a batch of cornbread and a batch of Black-Eyed Pea Salad and Mother's Macaroni Salad or Macaroni, Tomato, Corn and Basil Salad (recipes on this blog) for a perfect dinner!!!

*Note: There are no ingredient quantities listed because it depends on how many fish fillets you have. I usually begin with 2 eggs and ½ heaping cup each of bread crumbs and cornmeal and then I add more if I need it.


Ingredients:
Fresh bluegill fillets (thaw in refrigerator, if frozen)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Large eggs
Hot sauce (Tabasco or Local Foods hot sauce)
Dried bread crumbs (I use Italian dried bread crumbs or you can just add some dried thyme, oregano & marjoram to some plain dried bread crumbs)
Yellow cornmeal
Vegetable shortening


Procedure:
• rinse and pat dry the fillets
• salt and pepper both sides of the fillets
• whisk two large eggs with several drops of hot sauce in a dish with sides
• mix together equal parts bread crumbs and cornmeal in a pie plate
• heat shortening in an electric skillet or cast iron skillet hot enough to make that sizzle sound when you put a drop of water in
• use enough shortening so that it will come up the sides of the fillets a bit when you put them in
• using a fork, dip the fillets in the egg mixture
• then dredge the fillets on both sides in the bread crumb/cornmeal mixture
• place the fillets in one layer in the skillet (do not crowd)
• when the fillets are toasty brown on one side, flip them over to brown the other side
• in the meantime, cover a platter with paper towels
• place the fried fillets on the paper towels to drain, using more paper towels for each layer of finished fillets
Serve with your favorite mustard and/or more hot sauce and/or fresh squeezed lemons.