Whoever looked at the cave floor and thought ‘dang, we should set this thing on a box off the floor, make it soft and warm, with 600 thread count sheets, down duvets, and many pillows! This sleeping on the floor thing is not for me…’ – is my hero. They were on to something.
I love a good bed. Comfortable and sufficiently decadent. A place to slip into one’s jammies and snuggle under the covers with a guilty read, until your eyes cross & blur.
There is a time, as you are drifting off, between this world and the world of your dreams; it’s my favorite part of a good night’s sleep. The feeling of floating… water… air… stillness… breath.
Over my years at the Dragonfly Inn I became something of an expert on beds. The soundness of a mattress, the loft of a feather bed, and the art of lulling strangers to sleep. It’s surprising how many people don’t get a good night’s sleep, there is a sense of ‘well-being’ that you can only get from real sleep. Deep sleep. The kind of sleep where you dream. Everyone needs to dream.
In my first year as an Innkeeper I began a tradition that became the hallmark of the bed & breakfast – bedside cookies. While guests were out enjoying the evening, I would slip into their room with a plate of warm oatmeal cookies, straight from the oven.
Those cookies filled the room with warmth… soft brown sugar, fragrant vanilla, sweet raisins, buttery pine nuts, semi-sweet chocolate, and real butter. It was my final touch to a setting created for the “soul” purpose of dreaming.
Worked like a charm. My most requested recipe from the files of the Dragonfly Inn, Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia (and my signature cookie). Dragonfly Oatmeal Cookies.
In my first year as an Innkeeper at the Dragonfly Inn I began a tradition that became the hallmark of the bed & breakfast – bedside oatmeal cookies. While guests were out enjoying the evening, I would slip into their room with a plate of warm cookies, straight from the oven. This is my signature Oatmeal Cookie recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
¾ cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
¼ cup plain, unsweetened yogurt
2 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal
½ cup raisins
¼ cup pine nuts
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F (180°C). Prep a cookie sheet, parchment, greased or non-stick.
In a large bowl, cream together butter & both sugars until smooth. Add egg, water & vanilla and beat until light & fluffy.
Add flour, baking soda & cinnamon, beat until blended. Stir in oatmeal, 1 cup at a time until mixed. Add raisins, pine nuts & chocolate chips. Dough will be stiff. It’s an arm workout.
Drop by (large) spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F (180°C) for 12 – 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Do not over bake. Cookies should still be soft when removed from the oven. Makes about
Fearlessly cooking in her home kitchen just outside Ottawa, Canada; Cori Horton is a food photographer, food marketing consultant, recipe developer and sustainability advocate. A Cordon Bleu trained chef, Cori spent five years as the owner of Nova Scotia's Dragonfly Inn and now shares all things delicious - right here.
Looks yummy.
Taste yummy too!
Loved them! *smack lips* Now I am craving them…will have to make some :-)