Spin Cycle--Swapping Cookies--sort of...

So this week the Spin Cycle is all about a Christmas Cookie exchange.  Sending actual cookies through the mail would be less than effective so we are just sharing recipes.
I'm not a huge cookie maker.  I try to keep chocolate chip cookes on hand, but we have a challenge here.  We are at 7200 ft above sea level.  Seriously, college teams are greeted in the locker room with welcome to 7220.  I always laugh at the high altitude recommendations on baking mixes--they list high altitude as 3500-6500 ft.  As if no one who would bake lives at higher altitude.
Anyway, the high altitude makes baking a bit more challenging.  Add to that the extreme low humidity we have here normally and the whole getting a cookie or bread to turn out right is a game of adding more flour and going for the longer baking time.
I had to hunt high and low for a recipe for Chocolate chip cookies that didn't spread into flat discs with chip bumps in it.  I found one, but am not going to share that one today--I don't think very many of you live at the altitude I do.  I'm going to share a cookie recipe I remember making as a kid.  Oatmeal Cookie Kings.  We loved making these because mom put m&ms in them and they made big cookies.  Mom liked them because they had oatmeal in them so they masqueraded as more nutritious than say, your average oreo.
Oatmeal Cookie Kings
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar                      Optional: nuts, chopped
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)     raisins, 1 cup shredded
2 eggs, well beaten                            coconut, Reese's pieces,
1 tsp. vanilla                                       M&Ms

Sift first three ingredients together.  In a different bowl, cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Add flour mixture.  Mix oatmeal and any other optional ingredients adn add to the cookie dough.  Mix well. Drop from teaspoon 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 oven 10-12 minutes.  Makes 6 dozen cookies (unless you make really big cookies).

I'm also sharing my favorite muffin/doughnut recipe.  They are called Baked Apple Doughnuts.  As a kid I loved these because they are topped with cinnamon sugar and they were so good.  Now I love them because they hide shredded apple in them.

Baked Apple Doughnuts
1 1/2 cup sifted flour                  1 egg beaten
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder           1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt                               1/2 cup grated raw apple
1/2 tsp. nutmeg                         1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar                            1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup shortening                     3 Tbsp melted butter

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and sugar.  Cut in shortening until mixture is fine.  Mix together egg, milk, and apple.  Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture and mix quickly but thoroughly.  Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. While they are baking mix sugar and cinnamon together and set aside  Remove from pans immediately. Dip each in melted butter, then in the sugar -cinnamon mixture.  Allow to cool and enjoy--if you can wait that long.

Now go see Gretchen for more cookie recipes.  We all need them so we have yummy treats for the holiday.