Tiny Mailboxes and Oatmeal Cookies

Our close friends, Johnny and Tammy, just moved into a new home, and they invited us over for dinner the other night. I had to work that day, and didn't have much time to make a hostess gift, but I did have the ingredients for oatmeal cookies. We all went on vacation together a few years ago, and I made oatmeal cookies a couple of times that week. The thing is, Johnny likes them with nuts and raisins, and Tammy likes them with chocolate chips. So I would divide the basic cookie dough in two and add the nuts and raisins to one, and the chocolate chips to the other one. This time I added almonds instead of pecans and didn't add raisins. I use the Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe which is inside of the top of the Quaker Oatmeal box. I happened to have a tin container shaped like a mailbox that I'd been saving , so I decided to use that to hold the cookies.

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Servings: about 4 dozen


I cooled them on a rack after baking:

I gently wrapped them in plastic wrap and placed them in the mailbox. It held about a dozen. I took the rest on a plate to share.

I also wanted to take them a plant, so I went to Leaf and Petal in Mountain Brook. I highly recommend this place. There is one by the Summit, also. You can choose the plants and the containers and they will pot them for you. They also have some beautiful arrangements already done. Oak Street Garden Shop in Crestline is also excellent.


For the mailbox, I used sticky scrabble letters for their name and then tied a bow around it.
Pretty quick and easy, and great when you are short on time.

Tammy served us an incredible dinner which we could not stop eating. Their house is amazing and is located on top of a mountain with a spectacular view. They have filled it with cool objects and finds and are in the beginning stages of making it uniquely theirs. We are very happy for them and glad that we are able to share this time of their lives with them.