oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies

So I doubt you have noticed this at all, but there is not a chocolate chip cookie recipe in the recipe archives.  Sure, there are monster cookies with chocolate chips and M&Ms and just about everything else you find in any other cookie.  There are chocolate confetti icebox cookies, which are buttery slice and bake cookies with chocolate chunks, but still not your standard drop cookie, which is what I always think of when I think of chocolate chip cookies.  There are also flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, which are a completely different animal than regular chocolate chip cookies, but still delicious.

And here I’m giving another chocolate chip cookie recipe that are not exactly traditional chocolate chip cookies.  Because the truth is, I haven’t found my chocolate chip cookie recipe perfection yet.  I know exactly how I want them to taste and exactly how soft I want them to be and the exact saltiness to sweetness ratio that I want.  And yet I haven’t been able to make it.  Actually, I did once when I didn’t write down what exactly I was doing.  And when I discovered they were almost perfection, chewy and soft with the perfect rise without sinking back down into themselves, I tried to replicate it and failed.

To be honest, these are a pretty good substitute though.  They are soft and extra chewy, with a crisp edge and some bold chocolate.  Part of the flour is taken out and replaced by oats that have been ground in a food processor, which gives these cookies extra body that you have to (I’m sorry, get to) munch on just a bit more than a standard cookie.  The oats also add a bit of a nutty flavor, without the addition of actual nuts.  I like these cookies with big chunks of chocolate, or large chocolate chips.

I’m still going to keep searching for the perfect chocolate chip cookie though.  Admittedly, I haven’t been trying out the recipe every weekend or anything.  But some day I’m going to stumble upon it again, and I promise to share.  In the mean time, these will do.  (Or these.  Or these.)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
adapted from The All-New Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 10 minutes

Makes 4 to 5 dozen

2 1/2 cups uncooked old fashioned oats
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 to 4 (1.44 oz.) chocolate bars, chopped (or about 1 1/2 cups large chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, pulse the oats until they are ground.  You can grind them as fine or as roughly as you like, for a smoother or a rougher cookie texture.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at medium speed until fluffy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Then add the eggs and vanilla and beat until incorporated.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended.  Add the chocolate (and the nuts if you’d like), and stir together.
5. Drop the dough onto the baking sheet in balls that are about 1 inch in diameter, and place them about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until slightly golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and cool slightly before serving.