Mrs. Fields & iVillage 30th Anniversary Cookie Contest (686 photos) Oatmeal Cookies (86 photos)

Chocolate Sunflower Seed

My Sunflower Seed cookie recipe came about while I was in the Marine Corps stationed in Hawaii with my 2 children. As a single parent I had to create a lot of meals but cookies where my forte. I had a great Oatmeal Cookie recipe and one day my daughter Kendra was watching me make the batter and she was eating Sunflower Seeds. She suggested I put Sunflower Seeds in the cookies instead of Raisins and I did and I've been making them for years to the pleasure of many. A few years back I came across Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds and being a choco-holic a change in the recipe came to pass and they get rave reviews everywhere now. So heres my recipe.............

Chocolate Sunflower Seed Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter(room temp. soft)
1 cup dark brown sugar(packed)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 extra Lg eggs
1 tspn (real) vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup oat flour
3/4 tspn salt
1 tspn baking soda
3 1/2 cups instant oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Covered Sunflower Seeds (Bergin Nut Company)

Cream together butter, sugars, peanut butter,(low speed to blend, then high speed for fluffy texture). Add eggs one at a time until blended and vanilla too. Add flour's in bowl with salt and baking soda and mix well. Add to fluffy mixture till blended well, Add oatmeal and blend well,then Sunflower Seeds and blend well.I use dough hook on blender to mix oatmeal and Sunflower Seeds. Place 1/3 of batter on 18 inch piece of Saran wrap and form into a log and chill for atleast 3 hours.Using a 1 1/2 scoop I make dough balls and place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I slightly press down on dough balls to flatten and bake for 10 min. @ 375 F or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 min. on cookie sheet and transfer to wire rack. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen...... Enjoy !!!!!