Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are, hands down, the best cookies I've ever tried to make. I've baked them a few times now, and they were awesome every time. They looked intimidating at first, because the recipe is from scratch, and I have zero baking skills, but they were actually very easy. They took a little more time than a box mix, but they were completely worth the extra hassle. If you want to have the pride of making fresh, delicious cookies that don’t have any weird additives, give this recipe a try. 

WARNING: These suckers are fat-ten-ing. I’m talking, like 3/4-tablespoon-of-butter-per-cookie-fattening. In the future, I plan to experiment with different flours, less sugar, and less butter. I'll see if I can make these less guilt-inducing while keeping a high yummy factor. If not, they will still be my go-to cookies. 

I found the original recipe over at AverieCooks.com. My version of the cookie recipe is already doubled, so please visit her website to see the amounts halved. Averie also has lots of other yummy, easy recipes to try, so go check it out for more deliciousness. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: Approximately two dozen large cookies.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (and 3+ hours to chill the dough. Freezing is also okay).

Cook Time: 10-15 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 large eggs (or 3 small)

1 cup butter (2 sticks, softened)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats (*not* instant or quick cook)

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

a large pinch of salt (optional)

1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine the eggs, butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla together in a mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat on medium-high speed, until well-combined (2-3 minutes).
   
   
   
2. Add all of the dry ingredients to the bowl (minus the chocolate chips): oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and stir a few strokes, just to get it started. Beat on low speed for about 1 minute to combine.
   
   
   
3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again with a spatula, add the chocolate chips, and beat on low speed for another 30 seconds or so; just enough to spread the chips throughout the dough.
   
   
   
4. The dough will be very stiff, so you can easily divide it into four or six sections to help gauge your sizing for individual cookies.
   
   
   
5. Roll the dough into approximately two dozen balls, and flatten slightly. I used a 1/8 cup measuring scoop, and over-filled it a little, but you could use a serving spoon, or something along those lines, as well. Aim for 1/8 – ¼ of a cup for each cookie. Also, for extra prettification, move some of the chocolate chips from the bottom of the cookie dough ball to the top. {I forgot to do this, so my cookies aren't as cute as they could have been. They were still delicious, though!}
6. Place dough balls on a plate, covered with plastic wrap, or in some sort of covered container. Refrigerate for at least a couple of hours. I'd recommend freezing them if you think you'll wait longer than a few days to bake them. {I separated my layers with parchment paper, but they probably would have been fine stacked, without any separation.}
   
   
   
7. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease your cookie sheets, or line with a non-stick cooking sheet. Space the dough at least two inches apart on a baking sheet, and bake for 10-15 minutes. {You'll notice that I only have six cookies per baking sheet, but that's because I live in England, and the Shire only has Hobbit-sized ovens. You'll probably be able to fit about eight cookies per sheet in 'Murica.}

• Important note: *MY* oven bakes these cookies in 12-14 minutes. Oven temperatures can vary slightly, so just keep a close watch on your first batch to time it for your oven. I like these cookies extra chewy, so I take them out of the oven when the edges are just barely browned, and the tops are lightly set. They may even look a little undercooked in the center, but they'll continue to firm up as they cool.
  

8. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before serving. After they cool on the baking sheet, I let them rest on a layer of paper towels before moving them to a storage container. This gives them extra rest time, and gets rid of some of the greasiness from the butter and baking spray.
   

9. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for around a week {if they last that long}. You can also freeze them for several months.  Happy Chomping! :)