Eight Nights of Hanukkah Baking: Night #5, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

When I started food blogging, one of the very first things I remember reading about was the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. So many of the bloggers I follow posted their recipes that they used for the swap and talked about the cookies they got from other bloggers. I thought it sounded like such a good thing to be a part of and a really awesome way to meet other people who share your hobby. When Lindsey and Julie posted about this year’s swap, I registered right away. I did not want to miss out on getting involved, especially because this year the swap was partnering with a non-profit organization that raises funds to fight the war against pediatric cancer, Cookies for Cancer. So I got to be part of this really cool food blogging event and contribute to a great cause at the same time. 
Oh, and I got three boxes of yummy cookies, too. :)
Deciding on a good cookie recipe to send out was really hard. I looked through all of my magazines, Pinterest, Zip List, etc. to find the perfect cookie. But I just couldn’t commit. Everything was too boring...too normal...or something I had already blogged about. I had to find something new — something I knew would a) survive a far trip (my matches were located in WI and CA) and b) still taste good by the time they get there! 
Finally, I remembered these cookies that my aunt has made in the past. My cousin’s husband Michael makes them now, so I got the recipe from him. These “Mountain Cookies” as my aunt calls them, are bursting with chocolate chips, oatmeal and walnuts and are freakin’ delicious. The recipe is from the Good Medicine Lodge, a bed and breakfast in Montana that she and my uncle and cousin stayed at years ago. The owner would put out these homemade cookies every day. They loved the cookies so much that my aunt asked for the recipe. These cookies are supposed to "Montana Sized" but that would have required me to make a lot more batter, so I made mini versions instead. 
My version of the Good Medicine Lodge [Mini] Montana Sized Cookies 

1 cup butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3.4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour (I used King Arthur's white whole wheat)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup walnuts
12 oz. chocolate chips
**My own addition: 1 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla until very light and fluffy.
Combine baking powder, baking soda, flour and salt.
Mix dry ingredients with the butter mixture until blended.
Mix in nuts, oats and chocolate.
Scoop cookies onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.
To make them their true size, use 1/4 cup of batter per cookie. This will make close to 2 dozen cookies. For my version, I used my medium OXO cookie scoop and it made a little over 3 dozen cookies
 

My cookies went out to Mika, Milisa and Leah. Hope you guys enjoyed them! Thanks to Susan for the peanut butter and hot fudge cookies, David for his version of DoubleTree Hotel’s chocolate chip cookies, and Heather for the pistachio and cranberry icebox cookies! I can’t wait to see all of the cookie recipes that the other bloggers made for the swap!