Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Friday, September 5, 2008

There was no one to cook dinner for tonight, the kids were all gone, and the hubby is still on liquids. So I decided to treat myself to an ultimate fast food dinner - Long John Silvers' fish and chips. I was even going to get some extra crispies...those little bits of batter that fall off the fish during the deep frying. Crispies are very likely my most favorite item on the menu. Oh, my mouth was almost watering on the drive home, imagining the greasy, salty, deep fried goodness.

Then I saw the ginormous line at the drive-thru, and drove straight on by. I'm not a patient person, as those around me will tell anyone who will listen. And even the crispies were not worth waiting in the drive-thru line for 20 minutes. What? Go inside you say? Gasp! What's the point of a drive-thru if I have to park my car and go inside. NO I say! You will not get my business tonight Long John Silvers!

Because I was starving, and because I hate to cook for one, I had one of those "what can I get in my mouth in the next 4 seconds" moments. The winner? Cream cheese on (homemade) pita chips. Fabulous for curing hunger, not so fabulous to photo and blog about. So then I felt guilty about not having posted much this week, and I went against my "no more baking" statement and made more damn cookies.

I am posting the recipe as written, but I took many liberties with it. Necessity is the mother of invention, correct? My baking cupboard was looking a little bare. So instead of chocolate chunks, I used chocolate and white chocolate swirled chips; macadamia nuts instead of hazelnuts. Still turned out pretty darned good.

One more quick rant before the recipe...Did you know that white chocolate is not actually chocolate? It's considered a confection. I consider it an abomination...a crime against chocolate. Unholy even! So I'm not sure how the swirled chips ended up in my house, but they won't be allowed back.

On too the cookies!


CHOCOLATE CHUNK OATMEAL COOKIES


Ingredients




1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (uncooked)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temp
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1 tbls vanilla extract
14 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts


Directions

Process oatmeal for 60 seconds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Process until blended

Oats before:

Oats after:



Beat butter with both sugars until the mixture is light in texture and color, on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.



Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

At low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions.

Stir in chocolate, coconut and nuts.

Fill an ice-cream scoop with the dough and drop onto greased cookie sheets, leaving 3" between cookies. Refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.

Baked chilled cookies in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, until edges are set and centers are still soft.

Cool cookies on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.



These cookies are being taken to work on Saturday, as a peace offering for showing up on a day that is supposed to be Boss free. Think the bribe will work?

Cheers,

Christine

2 comments:

Bonnie said...

I have missed not getting a new story or recipe also know how busy you are. Enjoyed this one along with a little info on white choch. Bonnie

mom said...

Bonnie is so good to comment.

I understand the fish and chips crispies. I do that when I fry chicken!

Love you,mom

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