Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When I first signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, I had no clue what kind of cookies I was going to make.

I thought long and hard. Should I try to bake something healthy and use cooking replacements, like agave nectar and applesauce? No. At first, I looked on Eating Well and Cooking Light- two of my favorite websites for finding healthy recipes. But then I decided I wanted my cookies to be delicious, meaning lots of butter and sugar needed to be involved. Obviously.

I didn't want to make anything too complicated or unusual. I just wanted to make something simple and classic- an all time-favorite, if you will. And then it hit me, Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies. What could be more timeless than a chocolate chip cookie? My friend Laura's mom used to make these cookies all the time in high school. They were everyone's favorite!

These cookies are Martha Stewart's recipe, so I can't take all the credit. I did slightly adapt the recipe by using walnuts instead of pecans (incorporating omega-3's makes it healthy, right?), but you could really use any kind of nut you desire. You could also substitute the chocolate chunks for raisins or even add white chocolate chips and dried cranberries. The combination possibilities are endless.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (this makes a HUGE difference)
• 1 C packed light brown sugar
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1 T pure vanilla extract
• 3 T milk
• 2 large eggs
• 3 C old-fashioned rolled oats
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 1/3 C chopped walnuts (or whichever nut you prefer)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set dry ingredients aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter with both sugars; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, milk, and eggs; mix well. Add reserved dry ingredients, and beat until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in oats, chocolate, and walnuts. Place dough in the refrigerator until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. *Note: Overnight is preferred!
3. Heat oven to 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Using an ice cream scoop, shape into 2-inch diameter balls. Place 6 balls on each baking sheet, spaced 4 inches apart and press down.
4. Transfer to oven. Bake until golden but still soft in center. 15-16 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in an airtight container up to 2 days.

I happily licked this bowl clean. No shame.

The cookie dough is really the best part.

Lots of cookies!

I ended up making the cookies I sent a little smaller than this by forming each cookie with a tablespoon. However, I recommend making the larger cookies like the recipe suggests, because the cookies turn out really thick and dense- great texture.

I also highly recommend making these cookies into ice cream sandwiches with vanilla ice cream- amazing!

Had a fun time sending out the cookies and also received some delicious cookies in return!