Juan de Fuca Trail Cookies

Vancouver Island is one of my favourite places in the world.  Gorgeous and wild - it is the perfect destination for anyone who enjoys nature and hiking. On our last visit, we went for a hike on the Juan de Fuca trail, along the Pacific coast, not too far from Victoria.  It was stunning.  Afterwards, we refueled with some awesome cookies we found at a small grocery store named West Coast Trail cookies - basically oatmeal cookies with all sorts of goodies inside - nuts, seeds, raisins, and chocolate.  Sweet, salty, and wholesome. Who could ask for anything more after a long rainy trek along the coast?  OK - dry socks and a coffee would be cool, too. 

These are slightly adapted from the recipe for "Trail Mix Cookies" from Joy the Baker's awesome cookbook.  These remind me of those yummy cookies we ate wet, tired, and muddy after our trek on the coast (and our adventure rambling in the woods in search of Avatar Grove, but, that is a story for another time...) You can substitute seeds, different kinds of nuts, and dried fruit - anything goes!

Juan de Fuca Trail Cookies 

2 1/2 cups oats

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup M&M's candy

1 cup chopped peanuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

Combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy.  

Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.

Add in flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.  . 

Add in peanut butter chips, M&M's, peanuts, and raisins.  Mix thoroughly. 

Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, place balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for about 3-5 minutes until firm enough to remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Makes 4 dozen large cookies.