Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Christmas Cupcake Murder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

## Ingredients

* 1 cup salted butter ***(2 sticks, 8 ounces, 1/2 pound)***
* 1 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar
* 1 cup powdered ***(confectionsers')*** sugar
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 large eggs, beaten ***(just whip them up in a glass with a fork)***
* 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ***(pack it down in the cup when you measure it)***
* 1 cup ***(half of a 12-ounce by weight package)*** milk chocolate chips ***(I used Nestlé)***
* 1 cup dry oatmeal ***(I used Quaker Quick 1-Minute Oats)***
* 1/3 cup white ***(granulated)*** sugar for rolling dough balls.

## Directions

**Hannah's 1st Note: This recipe is much easier to make if you use an electric mixer. You can do it by hand, but it will take some muscle.**

1. Before you start to mix up this cookie dough, prepare your baking sheets by spraying them with Pam or another cooking spray. Alternatvely, you can also line them with parchment paper if you prefer.
2. Place the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. ***(I used a quart Pyrex measuring cup with a spout)***
3. Turn the microwave on HIGH and heat the butter for 1 minute. Leave it in the microwave for another minute of standing time and then check to see if it's melted. If it's not, give it another 15 to 20 seconds on HIGH with an equal amount of standing time.
4. When the butter is melted, set the bowl or measuring cup on the kitchen counter.
5. Place the 1 cup of white sugar in a large mixing bowl.
6. Add one cup of powdered sugar to the bowl and mix the two sugars together.
7. Pour the melted butter over the sugars and mix it in. Continue to mix until it is evenly blended.
8. Add the vanilla extract and mix that in.
9. Add the salt and mix that in.
10. Measure out the 2 teaspoons of baking soda and sprinkle that into your bowl. Then mix it in thoroughly.
11. Feel the sides of the mixing bowl. If it's not so hot it might cook the eggs, add them to your bowl.
12. Mix the eggs in thoroughly.
13. Measure out the flour, making sure to pack it down in your measuring cup when you measure it.
14. Add the flour to your mixing bowl in half-cup increments, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
15. Add the cup of milk chocolate chips to your mixing bowl. Stir them in thoroughly.
16. Measure out the oatmeal and place it in the bowl.
17. Place the 1/3 cup of white ***(granulated)*** sugar in a small bowl. You will use this to coat the dough balls.
18. Roll the dough into walnut-size balls.
19. Place the balls in the bowl with the sugar to coat them.
20. Arrange the sugar-coated dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet, 12 to a stand-size sheet. ***(If it's too sticky to roll, place the bowl in the refrigerator for thirty minutes and try again.)***
21. Use the palm of your impeccably clean hand to squash the cookie dough balls down slightly. That way they won't roll off the cookie sheet on their way to the oven. ***(Don't laugh--it's happened to me!)***
22. Bake your Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies at 325 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Then transfer the baked cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 6 to 7 dozen, depending on the cookie size.

These cookies freeze well if you roll them up in foil and place them in a freezer bag. They also hold together well for shipping.