Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a confession to make.  I don’t bake cookies to eat them; I bake cookies to eat the dough.  Sure, I might bring myself to eat one or two once they’re out of the oven, but truly, there’s nothing that leaves me in more joyous anticipation than the promise of a bowl of cookie dough, especially that of the oatmeal chocolate chip variety.

I attribute my love of baking to my grandma; Grammy, if you will. She baked for the hell of it.  For one month every summer my sister, mom and I would live with them at their home in the Napa Valley. During lazy afternoons, in between hours spent in the pool, running through the vineyards and sprawled on her bed watching “Saved by the Bell” re-reruns, she would announce, “Girls, I was thinking of baking something today.”  Normally, my sister chose spending time with Papa over cooking in the kitchen, but I never let an opportunity pass me by.  She would have me run out to the pantry in the garage, grab a bag of chocolate chips and any other necessary ingredients, and away we would go.  She trusted me with certain steps that many adults are weary of young children doing, like cracking eggs, or stirring the dry components into the wet.  When completed, we would place the freshly baked goods into a jar shaped like a bumpkin lamb’s head. That’s right; a bumpkin lamb’s head.

When I reached high school, I went through a three month period of craving cookie dough all the time.  I started baking two to three times a week, and would bring the rewards of my effort to school to give to my classmates.  There are very few reliable truths in this world, but one cannot deny the magnetic allure of sugary treats to perpetually starving teenagers.  

It was at this time my devotion to oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough was born.  I am a texture person, and the feel of oatmeal, chocolate and pecans swirled through soft chunks of dough is, well, making my mouth water just thinking about it.

I came up with this recipe a couple years ago.  At the time, I was surfing the Internet looking for a new cookie recipe to try, and found three that simultaneously intrigued me. I didn’t have time to make three separate cookies, and thus, combined all to make one killer treat. Granted, I no longer have voracious youngsters to wolf down my goods, but my husband does a pretty good job of polishing them off. The dough* is divine and so is the cookie.  I encourage you to eat equal amounts of both.  

Happy Eating,
Elizabeth

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
2 large eggs (preferably free range organic!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, obviously, but so good!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two baking sheets.  In a large bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light, fluffy and well blended. Beat in each egg, one at a time, then add vanilla.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Sift over butter mixture (if you don’t have an instrument to do this with, just add it slowly to the butter mixture, in small batches); stir to blend.  

One at a time, mix in oats, chocolate chips and pecans.  Drop dough onto sheet by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake 14 minutes (cookies should be lightly golden around bottom edges).  Transfer to baking rack to cool.

*  Yes, I get it; some of you are worried about eating raw cookie dough because of the chance of contracting salmonella.  My mom is a nurse and is constantly nagging me of this possibility, so I thought I should at least acknowledge it: You can get salmonella from eating food with raw egg in it.  However, I have been eating raw cookie dough for the last 25 years and have yet to get sick.  I will continue to eat it until or unless it happens.  The ball’s in your court; decide for yourself!