Oatmeal Scotchies and Mocha Walnut Cookies

From "Nestle Toll House Recipe Collection." Nestle Foods Corporation, 1987.

I'm going to maintain that age-related memory issues can be fun. You forget a lot (while at the same time you remember, in great detail, things that have very little relevance to anything). Because of the forgetting, I can pretty much count on being surprised at least three times a week. Most recently I was very pleasantly surprised by a gorgeous pair of blue suede shoes that I don't remember buying.

I'm often surprised by a cookbook - I don't remember where or when I got it or that I even had it. This cookbook is one of those.

Nestle's purpose in this cookbook seems to be to convince the reader that adding chips of any kind (chocolate, butterscotch, white chocolate, etc.) can make any recipe better - including pumpernickel bread, carrot cake and Irish soda bread.

The two recipes here are indeed "chip stars." The Oatmeal Scotchies are better than you remember and, without fail, get eaten very quickly and garner rave reviews. The Mocha Walnut Cookies are worth the slightly extra work and, dare I say it, better than a basic chocolate chip cookie.

Oatmeal Scotchies
Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups oats (Quick or Old Fashioned)
One 12-ounce package (2 cups) Nestle Toll House butterscotch flavored morsels.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in oats and Nestle Toll House butterscotch flavored morsels.

Drop by level tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes for chewier cookies, 9-10 minutes for crisper cookies.

Note: I've found the cookies are easier to handle if I allow them to sit on the cookie sheet for 1 minute after removing them from the oven before I remove them from the sheet.

Mocha Walnut Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies

One 12-ounce package (2 cups) Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided
2 tablespoons Nescafe Classic instant coffee [I use instant espresso powder]
2 teaspoons boiling water
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 1/2 cup Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels over hot (not boiling) water; stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In small cup, dissolve Nescafe Classic instant coffee in boiling water; set aside.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and coffee; beat until creamy. Add egg and melted morsels; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate morsels and walnuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Allow to stand 2-3 minutes before removing from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.