Jalapeno Oatmeal Cookies

      Monday is my last(ish) day at the Okra Grill.  I'm sad to leave because I have learned much and have made some good friends, but all things must come to an end.  As a little farewell I have decided to make cookies for my co-workers.  As I'm sure you know I'm not the kind of person to make just any cookies and these little treats have been part of my life since high school.  Some of the band parents would make these and those of us, the brave few, who were willing to dare jalapeno cookies were well rewarded. These cookies are an absolute delight and after getting the recipe I have left a string of people in my life similarly addicted to them.
      The recipe that I was given was simply to make the cookies according to the recipe on top of the Quaker quick oats container leaving out the cinnamon and raisins and replacing them with 2 finely chopped jalapenos and butterscotch chips.  Over the years I've fussed and fiddled and finally came up with a few changes that send them over the top.
      First remove the seeds of 2 jalapenos and finely dice.  Set these aside.  Then take 1 1/2 sticks softened butter and cream in a mixer them along with 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar.  Add 1 egg and 1 TBS water mix until blended.  In a separate bowl mix together 1 cup AP flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder.  Then add this to the sugar/butter/egg mixture and mix until combined.  Last mix in 3 cups old fashioned oats, 1 cup toffee chips, and the chopped jalapenos until the dough just comes together. 
      Spoon the dough onto cookie sheets lined with parchment being careful to leave a good amount of space for the cookies to spread.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 min turning and switching the pans half way through so that the cookies all bake evenly. 

      I really love the taste of the toffee chips in the cookies, but it does tend to make them spread so if you do use the quick oats recipe and toffee chips be sure to add about 2 TBS more flour.  And don't be afraid to kick it up a notch and add another jalapeno or simply don't remove the seeds.  Hope I get a few more people hooked!  Happy eating. 


PS-- Just a few comments I got today at work about the cookies!

~"um, jalapeno cookies? yea, no thanks"
~"you know Eva, you really need to bag these up and sell them!"
~"Well, I liked the cookie part. . .  that part was good, but the jalapeno part, well not so much"
~"don't you think these could be a little spicier?  I think they should be spicier!"
and my favroite . . . ~ "woah! those had jalapenos in them? I just thought they were stinking delicious!"