Happy National Oatmeal Cookie Day

While I was reading Rachael Ray’s Cookbook Cooking ‘Round the Clock I saw this recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. Even though there was no pictures of them in her book the recipe sounded so yummy. I mean come on Oatmeal Cookies and Pancakes all in one! I also knew that National Oatmeal Cookie Day was coming up so I waited to make these until now. What a perfect way to celebrate a national holiday for Oatmeal Cookies- Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes!

I changed up the recipe, just a bit, to use things I had on hand (I made notations on what I did differently). They came out great and made my whole apartment smell so sweet and good. I recommend drinking a large glass of milk as you eat them!

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
by Rachael Ray
Serves 4 (12 pancakes)

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 ounces, 1/4 cup, chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 really ripe bananas, mashed up (I only used one)
3/4 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries)
1/2 stick butter, 1/4 cup, melted, plus additional for buttering skillet
Maple syrup or honey, for drizzling

Preparation:
Mix dry ingredients, the first 7, in a bowl. In a another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, the next 4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined, then fold in the mashed up bananas and the raisins. Stir in the melted butter.

Heat a griddle over medium heat and brush with additional melted butter. Cook pancakes, each about 1/3 cup, until bubbles form on the top, then turn. Cakes will cook in about 2 minutes on each side. Keep pancakes tented with foil as they come off the griddle to keep them hot. Serve with drizzled honey or maple syrup over the top.

Some interesting facts about oatmeal cookies:

• Oatmeal cookies are the #1 non-cereal usage for oatmeal, followed by meatloaf and fruit crisp. (Quakeroats.com)
• “Oatmeal cookies, as we Americans know them today, descend from ancient bannocks and oatcakes known to peoples of the British Isles. The raisins, nuts, and spices commonly found in today’s oatmeal cookies date to the Middle Ages. Oats, and their recipes, were introduced to the New World by European explorers in the 17th century. In 19th century America, oats were considered health foods. They were recommended to invalids and served as hearty breakfast fare.”(foodtimeline.org)
• The first recipe found for oatmeal cookies appears in the original Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896). However, one could barely call them oatmeal cookies since they only contained half a cup of oatmeal. (foodtimeline.org)
• Most of the oatmeal cookie recipes that we see today, are loaded with oats. These more common oatmeal cookie recipes, full of oatmeal, are adaptations of a recipe first developed by The Quaker Oats Company during the Second World War. (joyofbaking.com)

Hope you all have a oat filled day! A little side note: The majority of “National Holiday” and “National Food Holiday” websites said today was National Oatmeal Cookie Day. However, one or two said National Oatmeal Cookie Day was back in March and said today was National Raisin Day. I am choosing to honor oatmeal cookies today, but since the recipe calls for raisins you can celebrate them as well!