Care Package Cookies

My younger brother, Robert, was having a tough week at Miami.  He's double majoring in Finance and Accounting, and the Farmer School of Business was totally kicking his butt between exams, assignments and the career fair this week.  It basically meant a whole lot less partying, and way more studying.  I remember how much the care packages my mom sent me filled with baked goods or Starbucks gift cards cheered me up during undergrad, so I wanted to do the same for him.  I baked him one of his favorites, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and filled the rest of the package up with enough candy to put him in a sugar coma! 

I started by combining the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. I creamed the shortening, sugars and vanilla extract until they were nice and smooth, then added the eggs, one at a time to the mixture.  You add the eggs one at a time to gradually incorporate the ingredients, which results in a fluffy cookie rather than a dense cookie.

After gradually adding the dry ingredient mixture - the flour, baking soda, and salt - to the wet ingredient mixture with a hand mixer, I stirred in the chocolate chips and oatmeal by hand.  If you use a beater during this step, you will crush all of the oatmeal, and I like being able to see the big pieces in the dough.  I had to sample the dough, of course, as any good baker would do.  It was DELICIOUS.  

I rolled the cookies into tablespoon sized balls, put them on a baking sheet, and flattened them slightly.  When you roll them by hand versus with a mini ice cream scooper, you have more control over the distribution of the chocolate chips.  I love when they're on top so the cookies look extra pretty!

I know Robert will love these cookies...and I'm glad I managed to save some for myself too!  Yummmm.