cookie of the week

It is my hope that July will be the month that some of my hopes see light of day. They're not huge resolutions I'm tackling, just things that I wish I did on a regular basis. I sit down at the end of the day and think, "Oh, I would have liked to bake today," or, "It would have been nice to dust the blinds today." You know, things that get pushed to the bottom of my list because more important things come up. Or things that only get done once they're right in my face, screaming for attention.

Last school year, it was my hope to bake a cookie a week, like Leslie and others do. I don't even think there were two consecutive weeks in the entire year that my children enjoyed home baked cookies...

I know it's summer, but with Annika going to her first day of pre-Kindergarten yesterday, I decided it was now or never. The cookie baking began. Pre-K is only a month long. She'll start Kinder in August; Laurel will be in fourth grade. Maybe once August rolls around, I'll have a routine in place for the Cookie of the Week.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

1 c butter or margarine, softened :: 2 eggs :: 2 c packed light brown sugar :: 2 tsp vanilla extract :: 1-3/4 c all-purpose flour :: 1 tsp baking soda :: 1 tsp ground cinnamon :: 1/2 tsp salt :: 3 c quick-cooking oats :: 8 oz. pkg. Heath Toffee Bits :: 1 c Sweetened Coconut Flakes (optional)

Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Beat butter, eggs, brown sugar and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended. Stir in oats, toffee bits and coconut, if desired, with spoon. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto prepared sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack. About 4 dozen cookies.

Everyone who's sampled has given a thumbs-up. For those of you who aren't coconut fans, you can certainly omit the coconut, but I have to say that it's not an overwhelming flavor, is pretty tasty and gives it a little moisture. The cookies are chewy, mostly from the toffee bits melting during baking. And they're fabulous with coffee.