Every once in a while, I'll have this—I don't know, this deep seeded sense of nostalgia..

It doesn't happen too much, I'm not that old yet, but when it does I can get to reminiscing about the things of my youth—when things seemed fresh, new and so much simpler by far..

Often it'll be food that gets me to dreaming about days gone by—when TV Dinners were in aluminum trays you heated in the oven, Ring Dings came in foil wrappers and Nabisco made their Snap cookies..

It was this last one that hit me recently. First, I wistfully thought of the cute little box with the tiger on the cookie and then it was trying to remember that taste—there was really no other cookie like it and I can remember eating them for years growing up..

Sadly, like so many things from my childhood, these had disappeared long ago from store shelves..

Being somewhat handy in the kitchen and after imagining the wonderful simple plain chocolate cookie taste with just the tiniest bit of snap to it—I decided I could wait no longer, so I set about attempting to discover again that sweet memory of flavor..

As I gathered myself to bake, and after tweaking a few ideas to fit my thought of what it would take to create this long gone snack, I decided that since I have been on such a Gluten-Free cooking kick lately—well, I would just try and continue with this recipe..

I'm not exactly sure why, I don't have Celiacs or a gluten intolerance, but I know some who do—so I guess I've been wanting to see what I can make for them that isn't out there like it should be..

A few ingredients, just a little bit of work and before you know it they started flying out of the oven needing a quick squish—then set aside to cool till done..

They were perfect..

Just like I remember..

Thin, chocolatey and with just a little snappy bite to them..

So if you, like me, remember that tiny rectangular box with the tiger face drawn on the cookie from the 70's and 80's then you will fall in love with these simple, plain, wafer'ish cookies—because without a doubt they are "Definitely Delish"

"Gluten-Free Copycat Nabisco Chocolate Snaps"

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups Light Brown Sugar
1 cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Cocoa
1/4 cup Special Dark Cocoa
1/3 cup Milk
3 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. fine Pink Himalayan Salt
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
4 cups Gluten Free Baking Flour (I use King Arthur Brand)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream 1 1/2 cup shortening, 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar and 1 cup white sugar. Add 2 eggs and beat..
3. Add 3/4 cup cocoa, 1/3 cup milk and 3 tsp. vanilla and beat.
4. Add remaining ingredients of 2 tsp. baking powder, 2 teaspoons of Himalayan salt, cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. soda and 4 cups of gluten free baking flour..
5. Form in balls size of walnut and place about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet..
6. Bake 12 minutes. Smash flat when they come out of the oven while still warm.
7. Repeat until all dough is used up. Makes about 100 cookies, or more, depending on how big you make them..

Have you ever baked your oatmeal? If you haven’t, you’re in for a real treat. Up until just the other day, my only experience with oatmeal was either in a powdery packet or over a simmering stove-top...

But it turns out, throw some oats in a cast-iron skillet with milk, eggs, and a few other ingredients, and what you get is an oatmeal that is almost completely hands-off (with no risk of bubbling over!) but also completely delicious...

What's really appealing to me about baked oatmeal is its texture — unlike the traditional version, baked oatmeal is sturdy and dense more like a sweet breakfast casserole or a giant soft cookie than a porridge...

Plus, this makes it perfect for dressing up with a multitude of various cookie flavors...

Like I did this time; just throw in some chocolate chips and a hefty dose of vanilla for a chocolate chip oatmeal “cookie” for breakfast, dried cranberries, orange zest, and almond extract for a holiday take, or a few teaspoons of cinnamon and some plump raisins for an oatmeal raisin cookie version...

You're only restricted by your imagination when it comes to this dish. I'll be trying a mix a vanilla chips and toasted nuts (perhaps macadamia) next time I cook this one up for me and my Baby...

It really is a quick and simple dish that's easy to prepare; a few minutes of prep toasting the oats and mixing up the eggs and cream, then into the oven it goes...

What's great too is that all the leftovers can be saved in Tupperware containers for a quick meal on the way to work, or even a late night snack-it kind of really is like a giant breakfast cookie, Yum...

"Definitely Delish" and definitely a dish to try again and again...

"Cinnamon Raisin Cookie Baked Oatmeal"

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter (optional)
2 cups rolled oats (use certified gluten-free if needed)
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2-3 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups whole milk (or non-dairy milk of choice — any will work!)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins (or more or less, to taste)

For serving:
Yogurt
Honey or pure maple syrup (I used a low sugar syrup)
Cinnamon
Homemade Whipped Cream

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Optional: Toast your oats first. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the oats and stir to coat evenly, then continue to cook, stirring every few seconds to prevent burning, until oats smell toasty, like popcorn. This should take only 2-4 minutes, but gives the oatmeal a deeper flavor and makes it taste a little more cookie-like, in my opinion.
2. Mix together oats, both sugars, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. You can also use an 8×8-inch baking dish — in that case, you may want to line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
3. In a bowl, whisk together milk, vanilla, and eggs. If you didn’t toast your oats, you can add a tablespoon or two of melted butter here, if you’d like.
4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and give the dish a shake or stir it to evenly moisten.
5. Scatter the raisins (or chips if doing optional recipe, which I made this time) evenly across the mixture and stir again to incorporate.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden on the edges. Oatmeal should still be soft in the center when removed but will set as it cools.
7. Serve while warm with whipped cream, syrup or whatever various toppings you enjoy....

Recipe options:
For a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie version:
Up the vanilla to 2 tsp, omit the cinnamon, and swap out the raisins for chocolate chips.
(This is the recipe I did, using a dash of cinnamon sugar and mini semi-sweet chips with the extra vanilla extract)

For a Cranberry Orange version:
Add one to two tablespoons of orange zest, half a teaspoon of almond extract, and swap out the raisins for dried cranberries.

Notes:
Serve with homemade whipped cream, syrup, vanilla ice cream or whatever else you think might go good alongside or on top if desired..