Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters (TWD) and My Blogiversary!


Blogiversary... blogoversary... blogversary... I'm not sure what the proper term is, given that it's a totally made up word, anyway. I find it hard to believe, but exactly one year ago today, I started this blog. It's come a long way since then :)

I've met so many kind, witty, generous, and talented foodie friends and discovered a plethora of wonderful blogs along the way (in fact, there are so many, I don't have enough time to visit them all as often as I'd like!).

I've learned the importance of good lighting in food photography and drive my husband crazy on a regular basis while I photograph the food before allowing him to dig in. I'm still working on getting better props and a nice light box, but for now I've at least learned how to adjust the settings on my camera to get better pictures when I am forced to shoot with indoor/fluorescent lighting. I think I've learned to take pretty decent photos for an amateur using a point and shoot camera (Canon Powershot SD1000).

I've joined two baking groups that challenge me on a regular basis to learn new techniques and perfect my baking skills - The Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie. I can't tell you how much I have grown in the kitchen thanks to these groups.

With the evolution of my blog, I'm working on redesigning its look and giving it a makeover, but for now you'll have to settle for a new, easier to remember URL - www.goodeatsblog.com (the old URL will automatically redirect to this site).

Surprisingly, I have found that I've developed a pretty decent following - so to my loyal readers, I thank you! I am eager for what the next year holds and hope you'll continue to come along for the ride. Now on to the cookies...


This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Stefany of Proceed with Caution: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. What a wonderful trio - it's like a chocolate chip cookie collided with an oatmeal cookie and peanut butter cookie.



The cookies are best if the dough is chilled for at least 2 hours before baking, so this isn't the best cookie recipe to make on a whim. Dorie states that chilling the dough will yield more evenly shaped cookies. A lot of bakers, myself included, decided to make the cookie dough and then refrigerate overnight. There were a few reports that the dough became so hard after chilling overnight that it broke a few cookie scoops! So if you do decide to chill the dough overnight, make sure you let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before you start scooping it :)


These were nice and crisp around the edges, and chewy in the middle. The cinnamon spice is noteable, but not overwhelming. Betweeen all the peanut butter and chocolate, these were pretty rich, so I found that they were best enjoyed with a cold glass of milk.


There were several comments that the peanut butter flavor was quite subtle, and even the peanut butter haters among us enjoyed this cookie, but I thought the peanut butter flavor was quite pronounced. I have a feeling that it probably has something to do with the type of peanut butter you use in this recipe (I used Jif Extra Crunchy).



Thanks Stefany, for choosing the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. If you would like the recipe for these cookies, you can find it here on Stefany's blog. Make sure you visit the TWD Blog Roll to see how everyone else enjoyed this great after school treat.

*Note: I only made one change to this recipe - I used semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.
For recipe tips, click here.

55 comments:

  1. Only a year old? Happy Blogiversary! I never would have guessed...your blog seems so mature, with such delicious pictures!

    These sound absolutely delicious...I love a little bit of cinnamon added into my pb (& I love chocolate & oatmeal!) so they might just be the perfect combo!

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  2. YUM!! I would love to have a couple of these with my morning coffee!

    Happy blogoversary!

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  3. I always spell it as "Bloggiversary," so I'll say.... HAPPY BLOGGIVERSARY!! :0) Keep up the blog, for sure!!

    I'm loving this week's TWD treat, since it's my favorite cookie variety :0) Yours look perrrrfect!!

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  4. Happy Blogiversary Jaime!
    Keep up the good work! :)

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  5. Happy blogiversary! Doesn't time just fly right by? I can't believe how many TWD's I've completed and it feels like I just joined.

    Your cookies look great! I didn't think the pb flavour was subtle either. Haha.. I drive my family crazy all the time too with my photographing before eating.

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  6. Happy Blogiversary. Your photos really are amazing. I need to educate myself on how to use my camera. Any tips for beginners?
    I'd sure love one of your cookies. They look so inviting with that glass of milk.

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  7. happy blogiversary!! i love the photos with the glass of milk. makes me want a cookie right now. :)

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  8. Those look delicious!!! Happy Blogiversary! :)

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  9. Happy Blogiversary! Your pictures are always great!

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  10. Not surprising at all that you've got quite a following... you have a wonderful blog! Happy Blogiversary! :)

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  11. Happy Happy Blogversary! Your cookies look perfect, I hope mine turn out as good. :)

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  12. The cookies look amazing!

    Happy blogoversary!

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  13. Wow! You use a point and shoot.

    Great pics!!!

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  14. Happy blogiversary!! I love your blog! Your cookies look so tasty!! I wish I had some now!

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  15. Happy Blogiversary! I enjoy your blog and all the fab photos. I hope that my photos are as good by the time a year has rolled around. I hope I last a year! :-)
    ~ingrid

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  16. Those photos are gorgeous and happy blogiversary!

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  17. Happy blogi, blogo, blogaversary! Cookies look delicious as always. Great job!
    Clara @ iheartfood4thought

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  18. They look great! Happy Blogiversary!!

    -Amy
    www.singforyoursupperblog.com

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  19. Happy blogiversary! Your cookies look delicious!!

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  20. Nice photos, the cookies look great!

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  21. congratulations on your first year of blogging... and those cookies look really crunchy... cheers! :)

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  22. Happy Blogiversary! I'm still having a really hard time with indoor lighting (I usually cook after it's dark outside). Your photos are absolutely amazing!

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  23. I always love to look at your photos!

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  24. Happy Anniversary! I really enjoy reading your blog! Great looking cookies!! Yum.

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  25. Congratulations!

    And these cookie pics are gorgeous. Looking forward to seeing the new site!

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  26. Those cookies look fab!

    Happy Blogiversary to you... 1 year old, huh? Very cool! :)

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  27. PS Mine is at the beginning of this month, too! Thanks for reminding me...

    I'll definitely have to do a post (& "borrow" that great word of yours - with a link - as well!)

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  28. congrats on the blogiversary and the domain name! your pics look delicious :)

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  29. Your cookies look great! Happy Blogiversary! Congrats!

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  30. Your cookies look great! Happy bloggaversary!

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  31. Congrats on the blogiversary!

    Great job! The cookies look delicious!

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  32. Wow, a year of blogging. Your blog is lovely, I've enjoyed lots of your baking posts.

    I use the same camera, but I have a LONG way to go to approach your beautiful photos. The last picture of the broken cookie is scrumptious looking!
    Nancy

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  33. happy blogiversary! your cookies look incredible. i agree they were really rich. i must have downed a gallon of milk with them.

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  34. happy blogiversary jaime! always enjoy seeing what you have cooking up, these cookies look great and look like something we would devour!

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  35. Happy Blogiversary! I love reading your blog and look forward to your posts. Your cookies looks great!

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  36. Happy Blogiversary! These cookies look great...what a good way to "celebrate."

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  37. Your cookie look great. And Happy Blog Birthday! =)

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  38. Happy blogiversary!! =) The cookies look yummy! I made these recently but I baked mine without refrigerating the dough, which resulted in thinner (but very delicious) cookies. And now I'm also curious... what settings do you use for taking indoor/fluorescent lighted photos? I haven't figured that out.

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  39. Happy Blogiversary!! Your photos are always great and I enjoy your posts, too. Nice job on the cookies, very tempting!

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  40. Happy blogiversary... blogoversary... blogversary, whatever you want to call it!

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  41. Happy Anniversary! I don't know how your photo skills were when you started but I have to agree that your pics look darn good. Congrats on a blog well done :)

    Your cookies look picture perfect.

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  42. Congrats on one year of tasty posts. I am looking forward to more. Those cookies look great.

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  43. Happy Blogiversary! What better way to celebrate than with rich cookies and cold milk?

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  44. Joyeux anniversaire! Mine is on the 30th. I started it so that I could be a Daring Baker. But I don't have a following, probably because I usually am posting about family events, which to me is a lot more fun than scrapbooking, as I'm not crafty. And.. your cookies look delicious.

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  45. Happy Anniversary! Your photography is awesome. Thanks for sharing a little about your work. Thanks for stopping by and commenting...glad you liked the molten cake pan too. So easy to pop those little yummies right out and serve. Your cookies look perfect and the photos are impeccable. : )) I'm a big fan of Tex Mex too!!

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  46. Happy Anniversary! You are doing yourself proud as this is one fine blog, the photos are amazing, and I love it when people use words like "plethora" with a great deal of confidence and regularity.

    Oh, and your cookies looked fantastic...my favorite shot (it was a little difficult to choose) was the last one with the cookies broken up...what a great shot!

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  47. Your cookies look amazing. I've put on a few pounds since joining in July (imagine that!!) so I've sat this one out. Thanks for leaving the comment on my blog.

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  48. Wow, your cookies look great! :D Beautiful job on the pictures.

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  49. Happy blogiversary! Your cookies look wonderful, and it's quite impressive that you're able to take these photos with a point and shoot! Makes me wonder if I should stop saving up for a DSLR and work with what I have.

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  50. Your cookies look FANTASTIC. They're like the Platonic ideal of cookies: perfect size and shape and oh so droolworthy!

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  51. Great looking cookies and happy Bloggiversary! :)

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  52. Time flies when you're having fun! Happy one year! And your cookies look delicious. :)

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