I have been a little overwhelmed lately by the wedding plans for Working Girl and her darling fiancée… There are so many details, so many items to track down, and so many decisions to make… Today via text message and twitpic my niece picked out her bridesmaid dress! So things continue to progress, and I continue to tell myself not to stress…

I also have been reading drafts of an essay on Peter Pan that College Girl is writing, spending the past week immersed in the finer points of JM Barrie’s life… Did you know that Peter Pan was originally quite a dark adult story about a spirit who erects tombstones for children who get “lost” in his “garden?” (Yes, showing up in later versions as the Lost Boys!)  Today the paper was submitted, and I asked her to send me the final draft because I cannot quit thinking about it…never grow up, indeed…

And in more mundane news my dishwasher is broken. And the only repairman in Austin who does warranty work on my brand of machine has (understandably) disappeared because his young daughter broke her leg… The kitchen has slowed to a crawl as I search for new and imaginative ways to cook dinner without pans or dishes or utensils…(finding a new cooking strategy is kind of a full time job…) Today I broke down and baked – we may not have a hot dinner, but we have cookies!!!

Gather Up:
1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
¾ cup toasted pecan halves
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons ground crystallized ginger
½ teaspoon fine salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg

Grind oatmeal and pecan pieces in a food processor until they resemble cornmeal. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, ginger, salt and baking soda together in a bowl. Stir in the oat and pecan mixture.

Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and smooth. Gradually add the sugar and the brown sugar and continue beating until well combined. Add the vanilla and the egg.

Stir in the dry ingredients. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and pack the dough into the bottom of the pan. Gently press to level the dough and cover top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until completely firm, about 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Unwrap dough and slice it in half lengthwise. Slice each log into ¼ inch slices and place 1 inch apart on baking pans. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 10-11 minutes.

Transfer to a cooling rack. Cookies will crisp as they cool. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week.

 Recipe adapted from Food Network.