These days, I’m seriously into taking things that already exist, fluffing them up and calling them my own.

This is a good thing…because I’m buying a house. There’s a lot of paint colors and door handles in my brain. (I’m thinking about the basics. Furniture is really expensive, actually.)

I’m trying to expand this technique into my closet world. So far, I’ve put pink shoelaces in my Nikes. If a person skilled in creating one hundred outfits with three articles of clothing wanted to train me, I’d pay them in cookies. Mostly because I’m saving money for furniture. But also because I think I have the hang of fancifying things in the kitchen.

Yea…I know I’m cheap.

I'm also seriously into oatmeal cookies. And this is the oatmeal cookie recipe on the back of the Quaker cardboard jar I buy when I consider eating oatmeal for breakfast, but then just end up with cookies instead. It’s adapted, so that my fingerprints are all over it.

First, there are two extra tablespoons of butter. Don’t be that person who questions extra butter. It balances out the ingredient ratio…because we’re adding cocoa powder too. And! A half and half white whole wheat to all purpose flour ratio is happening. The white whole wheat flour is a denser flour, so the extra butter doesn’t hurt.

Then, chocolate chips and cocoa nibs replace raisins and nuts. If you weren’t a nuts in your cookies person to begin with, you can do this anyway. It’s just extra chocolate. (Necessary.)

After baking, these cookies are sprinkled with sea salt. (I used a himalayan sea salt. I bought it because it was pink. Yea…I know I’m crazy too. Use the plain white sea salt if it’s what’s in your house.)

Let’s be real. Oatmeal cookie possibilities are endless. Triple chocolate is mostly just a start…but a really good one. You can adapt too. Just use your taste buds. Use a little whole wheat flour. And organize my wardrobe brain. (Just some suggestions for a Monday.)

Triple Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
recipe adapted from Quaker

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups oats
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
sea salt, for sprinkling

Beat butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Add flours and baking soda and stir until a shaggy dough forms. Stir in cocoa powder. (I stir in the dry ingredients until they are nearly combined, and then return to the mixer for one final beating to incorporate everything smoothly and simply.) Fold in oats, cocoa nibs and chocolate chips. Refrigerate for one hour.

Drop cookies by rounded tablespoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 350° oven for 9-10 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and let cool slightly on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Yields: about 4 dozen cookies.

For more recipes from Sarah, visit www.bakingserendipity.com