Cinnamon Chips

In downtown Holland, Michigan, there is a delightful restaurant-cafe called Alpen Rose that has wonderful baked goods.  A while back I tried their Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies and vowed immediately to duplicate them at home.  I had never baked with cinnamon chips before and not every store stocks them, but you can find them at Meijers.  Cinnamon Chips look just like mini chocolate chips but are flavored little bits of cinnamon and sugar.  They make wonderful little additions to cookies, muffins, scones, quick breads and pancakes.  I first tried the recipe on the back of the package but it didn't produce the thick, chewy cookie I was looking for.  Since I have a wonderful Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie recipe, I simply added the cinnamon chips for a dense, chewy bakery-style cookie.

Oatmeal-Raisin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

2 c. flour

1 t. each baking soda and baking powder

1 t. salt

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. crisco

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t. vanilla

3 c. oatmeal

1 1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. or more cinnamon chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.  Cream butter, shortening, sugar and brown sugar well.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Stir in dry ingredients just until mixed in, then add oatmeal and cinnamon chips.  Drop generous scoops of dough onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Every friday we have the TGIF Brunch at the sorority and I love to come up with new pastries.  The cinnamon chips were an excellent addition to this scone recipe and something the girls had never had before - they loved them.  Score!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

1 c. cinnamon chips

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/4 c. butter

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Cut butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.  (pastry blender works great, but your fingers will do just find)  Beat milk, egg and vanilla together in small bowl.  Gently mix wet ingredients into the dry and stir till coated.  Turn out onto lightly floured counter and  form into ball.  Transfer to parchment lined cookie sheet and gently form into 9 inch circle.  With knife cut into triangles but do not seperate. Sprinkle with raw sugar if desired.  Bake in preheated 375 oven for approximately 20 minutes.  Serve warm.