You can tell it’s mid-December by looking at most streets in Manhattan. They’re crowded with shoppers laden with gifts, tourists blocking foot traffic in front of window displays, and all manner of other manifestations of “Silver Bells” song lyrics. You can also tell it’s mid-December by looking into the kitchens of most apartments across the city and finding people baking dozens upon dozens of cookies. The traditional cookies and bars in my family range from Seven Layer Bars to Bailey’s Irish Cream Cookies to the dreaded Snowball Cookies (pecan cookies rolled in confectioner’s sugar), which I ate ten too many of when I was a child and proceeded to toss in the bathroom soon after. 

I got into the baking spirit last week and as I was deciding on the kind of cookies I would make that afternoon, I was torn between peanut butter, chocolate chip, and oatmeal. The result was just throwing them all together to create Indecision Cookies, the first in a series of recipes for holiday treats I’ll be sharing over the next few weeks.

Indecision Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen
Inspired by More from Magnolia’s Oatmeal Cookies
-1 cup flour
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. nutmeg
-1/4 tsp. ground cloves
-1/4 tsp. salt
-3/4 cup softened unsalted butter
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar 
-1 large egg
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-2 cups oats (of the quick cooking variety)
-1/2 cup peanut butter chips
-3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg in a small bowl and set aside. 

3) Cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat well until fully combined (but don’t overbeat!). Same goes for the dry ingredients as you add them next in two parts, combining fully.  

4) Use a large wooden spoon to stir in the oats, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips. 

5) Coat a cookie sheet very lightly with cooking spray and place spoonfuls of batter in rows with room to expand as pictured below. Bake for 11-13 minutes. (Mo Note: These won’t turn a dark golden brown on top so look for the brown along the bottom edges.)

6) Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack or platter.