A Birthday and Chocolate Chip Scotchies

.  So I kind of held out on you guys.

No, nothing really worthwhile like a groundbreaking, decadent recipe.  I wouldn't do that to you.

Nope.  But it was my birthday yesterday.  Ya, ya, happy birthday, woopdy doo.

Just kidding guys, I'm not that much of a grinch.  But not gonna lie, this birthday 1) crept up on me and 2) I wasn't all too excited for it.  Why, you may ask?  Well...26 isn't much to get excited about, you know?  Last year I was surprised for my quarter-of-a-century birthday by my irreplaceable family and friends here in Omaha so I guess number 26 had a lot to live up to.  And being a 'Monday' birthday wasn't something to get revved up for either.

But you know what?

I had one of the most memorable birthdays I can recall.  No, seriously.  I really did.

The day started out rather ordinary, nothing too crazy at work but the usual busy-ness as of late.  But after lunch, the front desk called me down where I found a lovely box of a dozen cupcakes from Bliss Bakery, a local spot in downtown Omaha that holds a special place in my heart because it was started by two sisters.  Gotta give some respect to the entrepreneurs of this world, right?!

Anywho, it was my lovely parents who had the special treats sent to my work.  My mom's reasoning is that since she couldn't be there in person to bake me a cake [as you may know, my parents live in MN], then the cupcakes were going to have to be the next best thing.  Hey, I ain't complainin'!  But really, what wonderful parents I have.  Can't say this more than enough.

So the rest of the afternoon was spent attempting to get some things done at work while also chatting with some fellow co-workers and trying to dish out these [ridiculously] beautiful [and even better tasting] cupcakes.  But then I got another call from the front desk because lo' and behold, I had flowers.  I had flowers?!  Honestly, the first thing that went through my head was wtf?  Because I knew my parents hadn't sent them...

But guess who did?!?!?!

Yep, MEL!  Remember the lady I ranted and raved about a few weeks back because she was coming to visit me?  Yep, her.  I had talked to her a few days prior to my birthday and told her I wasn't too amped about the upcoming day because it was just a typical ol' Monday.  Well, she took the liberty of sending me flowers to take away those Monday Blues and duh, it worked.  I was overly delighted and for the second time that day, couldn't believe that someone had taken the time to send me something.  Geesh.  She's beautiful and thoughtful!  But sorry guys, she's taken.

So, in summary, I had an exquisitely simple birthday but one filled with reminders of all of the extraordinary people I am so blessed to have in my life.  I honestly think people take for granted the simple gestures in life, seemingly 'little' things that you may not even realize how big of an impact they have on someone's day.  Or better yet, their life.  All in all, in a good reminder.

And now that you've gotten a full recap on my birthday [whether you wanted it or not], I guess it's time for these cookies.  They're legit.  Simple as that.

Coming into my birthday weekend [yes, birthdays have apparently now rolled into weekends], I was craving a cookie.  A simple, classic cookie.  I know, hold your gasps.  Because that rarely happens.  As my dad would know [and jokes constantly about], I tend to gravitate towards recipes with a little twist and tend to steer away from the staple recipes because well, you see them everywhere.  So sue me.

To fulfill my craving, I headed straight to my Milk and Cookies book because I knew I'd surely find a winner.  Remember my White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies?  Those came from Milk and Cookies and are undoubtedly one of the best oatmeal cookies I've ever had.  And that was exactly what I was looking for.

So I opted for the Scotchies, which consist of the oatmeal cookie dough base I can't get enough of.  But then you add in a generous dose of cinnamon to fill every nook and cranny and jam pack the dough with addicting butterscotch chips.  But to adhere to my reputation, I had to add something in!  So I threw in a good helping of milk chocolate chips just for the fun of it.  Again, sue me.

These cookies were nothing short of amazing and fulfilled every dream I had of an oatmeal cookie.  Crisp edges, chewy centers, buttery, cinnamoney, and butterscotchy flavors all throughout.  What's not to love?  That's right...nuttin'!  So get baking!  .

My Notes:

• I substituted some of the butterscotch chips for milk chocolate chips.  But the great thing about this recipe is that you can use any types of chips you can get your hands on, just make sure it all adds up to two cups!
• When scooping out your dough, I found it best to make sure the dough is pretty packed together.  Otherwise some of my cookies spread out way too much and even burned a bit.

Adapted from Milk and Cookies

Ingredients:

1 recipe oatmeal cookie dough base (excluding orange juice, cherries, and white chocolate)

1 c. milk chocolate chips

1 c. butterscotch chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Light spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Once cookie dough base is mixed but still streaky (do not overmix), using a wooden spoon, gently stir in milk chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer for about 10 minutes or until dough firms up.
3. Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, place scant balls of dough onto prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  
4. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges (centers should be slightly soft to the touch).  Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies