Yummy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, Anyone?

I’ve been engrossed lately with trying some baking recipes and making some adjustments in the amount of sugar and butter (they’re not really that healthy) without compromising the taste and texture of the recipe. Years ago, I enrolled in Sylvia Reynoso Gala’s cooking class for a few sessions and Ernest (her son)  taught us so many baking recipes including bars, siopao, brownies and different kinds of cookies. I learned how to make donuts from Marella (her daughter) and Chinese cooking from Sylvia herself. They are a supportive trio of chefs who share a lot to their students .I lost some of my handouts so I have to source the net for easy baking procedures.

Here’s the morning baking recipe. I made three batches of these yummy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies  right after attending the 6:30am mass. I have some friends coming over tomorrow and I am thinking of supplementing this with Baked Macaroni and homemade Puto.

Of course, there are so many ways of  making yummy, chewy (on the inside) oatmeal raisin cookies but I love this one.  By the way, here’s how it’s done if you want to bake some. You can reduce the measurement if you are only baking for a few. I made this in three batches, 25 large cookies.

You will need:

2 sticks softened butter (200 grams)

1 1/2 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. table salt

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup walnut (optional)

1 1/2 cups raisins

In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. (You can use a hand-mixer at low-speed). In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Stir this into the butter and sugar mixture. Add in the oats, raisins and walnuts and beat at low-speed for a minute or two.

You can chill the dough for a few minutes before baking to have that thick texture or you can line a baking pan with parchment paper and bake it at 170 C  for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. I used an ice cream scoop for uniform size.  Let it cool inside the oven before finally transferring it to a rack.

 

 

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It’s Epiphany Sunday

I woke up to the ray of light peeping through the open curtain on my window. Glorious, glorious sunshine!  It’s a beautiful affirmation of  the beauty of God’s creation.

LIGHT!  How do you perceive light in your life? Is it something that guides your way in times of  darkness or is it something you take for granted because it is always there staring back at you hard on your face? Is it something you appreciate  because you need to see the beauty of things all around you? Who would want darkness in one’s life? Who would want traveling a dark way without light on your path as a guide?

Today,  January 6, we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. In today’s  Feast of the Epiphany, the focus is on light. It’s the light that shines on the whole of Christ’s mystery beginning from His birth and it shines more brightly during Easter, during Christ’s resurrection. Darkness is  forever banished in our life because  of it.

Epiphany means “the manifestation of the Lord”. It is a Christian feast celebrating the manifestation of the divine nature of Jesus to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi. It is traditionally celebrated the twelfth day after Christmas which is  January 06. Though at most times, the feast is overshadowed by the celebration of Christmas, we should also realize the significance of this great day.  The Magi were lucky in their search for baby Jesus and they were blessed, guided by a bright star. We may not have the wealth of this world like gold, frankincense and myrrh, but through recognizing Jesus as our King, we are also blessed with so much love  and in the darkness we are given help on our journey to God.

Sometimes, we are on the brink of despair, we feel so unloved, as if the care of the world is so heavy on our shoulders. We feel that life is so unfair and everything is dark in our own world. However stormy and hazardous the journey is, we should follow the light of our Faith, and like that of the wise men, we should recognize the Ruler, Our King and bow our heads and adore Him.  Let His light always shines forth to all of us that we may see the beauty of His creation, that we may embrace Him truly in our lives.

Happy Feast of the Epiphany dear friends. Let’s follow the light. Let’s follow Jesus!

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