Kitchen Tree

I’ve always wanted a tree in my kitchen.

I had hoped to decorate it with cookie cutters, but alas, the boys have different plans.

I made four batches of cookie dough. None of them are baked yet — but I have the dough ready. I’m loving those chocolate chip mint chips. The pretty minty green swirled around the chocolate, I just had to put them into the chocolate chip cookie recipe I found on Oprah’s web site. Here’s the link. Cynthia Gourney’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 6 servings

* 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter (don’t toss the wrappers)
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup old-fashioned or rolled oats
* 1/2 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 bag (12 ounces) dark chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375°F (if you want them really crispy, jack up the oven to 400°F). Use the butter wrappers to grease 2 cookie sheets. Combine the flour, oats, cereal, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

In a second, large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually stir flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by rounded Tablespoons, not teaspoons (I like to use a small ice cream scoop), about 2 inches apart onto prepared pans. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a spatula to remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.