Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My mom makes a mean oatmeal chocolate chip cookie...like the kind of thing people request...they're that good. I've never really been able to nail her down on a recipe, though...so I had to go searching. Luckily...I think I've found one that is pretty darn similar...and by similar, I mean delightfully so!

There are 2 schools of thought when chocolate chip cookies are involved...soft vs. crispy. When it's a homemade cookie, I prefer them to be a little on the crispy side...they soak up milk best that way. This recipe surely fits that bill. They aren't dry, though...just the right amount of crunch on the outside...slight softness on the inside.

Ingredients 

-1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
-1 cup butter or margarine, softened

-1 tsp vanilla

-1 egg

-2 cups quick-cooking oats

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour

-1 tsp baking soda

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (and b/c I can...I added an extra 1/2 cup to this...and the cookies thanked me.)

-1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (No way, no how did I add nuts...by themselves, acceptable. In my baked goods...not so much...imho.) 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine softened butter/margarine and brown sugar. I used my stand mixer to mix up everything...but a hand-held would work just fine, too.

2. Action shot...very difficult to crack an egg & somehow get it into the bowl...AND attempt to take a pic. I digress... So, as you can see...the next thing is to add the egg and vanilla...mix until light and fluffy.

3. Moving right along...next come the oats, flour, baking soda, & salt. Mix until you have a nice little ball o' cookie dough.

5. Last thing to add...CHOCOLATE chips...the bestest part! (don't be envious of my superginormous bag of chips from Costco...I see you eyeing it.) Now, every chocolate chip cookie recipe ever penned calls for 'stirring' the chips in, not to use the mixer. Idk why that is...but I have this uber-powerful mixer...so I don't waste my arm strength on attempting to mix them in by hand. So...if you feel like it, buck the system...use your mixer!

6. Oh how I wish I still had that bowl full of dough! That's right...I walk on the wild side; throw caution to the wind; laugh in the face of salmonella...cookie dough is delish... Ok, all that's left to do now is put some cookie lumps (about 1-1 1/2 inch in size) onto a greased cookie sheet and bake them in a 350 degree oven for 9-11 mins (I baked mine for 11 minutes). 

*Finished product...on my watermelon Fiesta plate. Kind of a weird combo...but tres festive, no?

Normally I don't do cookies...I mean, I eat 'em...but don't bake them. I always think it's too much of a mess...too much effort to be taking things in and out of the oven. These really weren't too bad, though...and the end result...just like Mom makes. :)

~Hilary~

* original recipe came from here.