Today my fellow chef-enthusiast (Avery) and I decided to make some cookies while Mia was taking a nap.  In an effort to rid the house of some of the Halloween candy the girls got, Avery and I came up with this cookie recipe.  It is based on recipe for Cowboy cookies, so these cookie turn out huge!  Avery's watched them in the oven as they got bigger and bigger and her excitement grew.  Avery loves to bake and those times usually turn out to be some of my favorite times we spend together.  She told me today she wants to be a "baker" when she grows up.  I couldn't help but be proud.

Avery's Halloween Candy Cookies
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. butter Crisco
3/4 brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. rolled oats
2 1/2 c. candy (we took anything chocolate and chopped it up)

Cream butter, Crisco and sugars together.  Beat in the eggs.  Stir in the vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and stir until blended.  Fold in the oats and candy.  Drop 1/4 c. dough on a cookie sheet, pressing them slightly to flatten them.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until brown on edges.  Let cool.

In the end, we didn't really get rid of any candy, we just turned it into another form.  Oh well, it was still fun.