I am hosting our neighborhood moms' annual cookie exchange, which means I have the perfect excuse to test cookie recipes all month. Now, I am NOT a baker. I try, I really do, but there's a lot of precision and attention to detail required when baking that I find simply unattainable. Particularly when baking with my 5 year old, who insists on doing all the measuring and mixing himself. But we do the best we can and figure Santa isn't that picky about the cookies we leave him.
Today's recipe is my all time favorite cookie recipe. To me, it's not Christmas without these cookies. At least, as long as my friend Jessica is making them. When she makes them, they are delightfully dense and fat, like little wonderful lumps of yumminess. When I make them, they still taste good, but they spread out so much they're more like pancake cookies. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I've tried everything - switching my cookie sheets, cooking at a lower temperature, making sure the butter is room temperature, making sure the butter is cool room temperature...either when she gave me the recipe she left out some secret ingredient or step, or I'm just incompetent.
The good news is, she and her adorable family are coming to visit for a night in a couple of weeks, and if I am very, very lucky she'll bring me some. In the meantime, I'm posting the recipe so you, dear readers, can try them. And if you're an expert and know what I'm doing wrong, please please tell me. I want my lumps of yummy, and I want them now.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks of butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups old fashioned oats
Preheat oven to 375 (note: I've also done 350. Works fine at that temp, but they still spread). Mix butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in one bowl until smooth. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to wet. When completely mixed, add oats and then chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake until light golden brown. Makes 5 dozen cookies.
