Oh dear, I’m off from classes (I’ve got a lovely, long winter break) and so have completely lost track of the days of the week! So today for my belated Throwback Thursday–shall we call it Throwback Friday?–I’m giving you a treat.
A simple recipe for triple chocolate oatmeal cookies! It’s winter and we are headed back to work and school after the holiday (some people much later than others); don’t you want to curl up inside with a cup of cocoa and a cookie? Well this can get you there pretty darn fast, no electric mixer involved.
I should note that while these cookies are great–they really are–and insanely easy to make, I still don’t think I’ve topped what my family calls “crack cookies”. (It’s not because they’re crackled, if you get what I’m saying.) Ghirardelli’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are tough to beat and I might have to give it to them, their oatmeal chocolate chip cookie is a bit better than mine. But it’s not nearly as easy to make and their dough doesn’t freeze quite as well, so you can’t just have fresh, hot cookies whenever the mood strikes. Anyway, if you happen upon their recipe, try both and decide for yourself!
These are exactly what they sound like: oatmeal cookies with three types of chocolate. I used one of my favorite normal chocolate chip cookie recipes (I like the recipe because you don’t need an electric mixer) and substituted steel cut oatmeal for some of the flour. Instead of one type of chocolate chip, I used white, milk and dark chocolate chips. And a lot of them.
They were chewy and delicious! Not too oaty, but still noticably an oatmeal cookie. Plus you can’t go wrong with three types of chocolate crammed into one cookie!
And because I’m so sweet, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 5 oz butter
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sugar (superfine works best)
- Pinch salt
- 2 eggs (cold)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups oats
- 1/2 cup each white, milk, and dark chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 325*F.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool a bit.
- Meanwhile mix the sugars and salt together in a large bowl.
- Pour the melted butter over the sugars and beat until fully combined and slightly paler.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add vanilla and mix well.
- Add flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mixing carefully and slowly until it is nearly combined.
- Add the oats and mix until fully combined.
- Add the chocolate chips mix until fully combined.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour (if you have the patience, if not bake them now. They’ll be fine, but not quite as perfect.)
- Scoop with an ice cream scoop or a very heaping tablespoon on to a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least two inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven, the size of the cookie, and your preference (for chewy or crispy cookies). You’ll know they are done when they are golden and just starting to crack on top.
- Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely (or to a plate to eat).
Addendum:
As I mentioned above, these are easy to freeze. At step 11, stop. Put your baking sheet in the freezer. After an hour or two come back, peel the cookies off the parchment and pop them into a freezer bag. (Don’t forget to label the bag with the type of cookie and the prepared date–I never use dough that’s more than 3mos old.) When you’re ready to eat them, you can back up one at a time (or as many as you want, obviously). Just preheat to 350* and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the cookies are golden and dry-ish looking on top (as opposed to gooey). They may not crack quite as much as they do when the dough is used from room temperature, don’t worry.
Additional Addendum:
Variations:
- Nutty Chocolate Orange Oatmeal Cookies: Omit the vanilla, adding 1/4 tsp orange extract and zest of 1/2 an orange. Omit the dark and white chocolate. Use 1 cup milk chocolate chips and add 3/4 cup coarsely chopped, toasted walnuts.
- Closer to ‘crack cookies’: Omit the milk and white chocolate chips. Use 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips.
- ‘If you must add fruit’ cookies: Omit the vanilla. Omit the milk chocolate chips. Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries.
- Almost Scotchies: Increase the vanilla to 2 tsp. Omit the chocolate chips, use 1-1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips.
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