AKA Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

What these cookies lack in thickness, they make up for in an immersive textural experience. Crisp edges, craggy oatmeal, and a softy chewy center rounded out with smooth chocolate… these wispy cookies are as seemingly simple yet actually complex as a shadow.

While baking often requires precision, I often prefer to take the approach of experimentation. This not only sates my curiosity, but also allows for the substitution of ingredients when I don’t feel like leaving the haven of home. In this case, the usual dark brown sugar was replaced with one cup of white sugar and one cup of agave nectar.

This also serves as an excellent practice in how to handle failure – obviously one should throw oneself on the floor, throw flour, scream profanities, cry ugly tears, etc. – but another option is to make note of the failure and figure out how to avoid it in the future.

The first batch of these cookies I baked at a standard 350°F. After 4 minutes in the oven, the edges burned while the center remained pale and raw. Instead of throwing this batch away, I removed the inedible portions before scraping a large spatula across the pan to create large cookie chunks. I returned that pan to the oven for another 5 minutes which brought forth a crunchy cookie granola that would make a perfect snack or topping to ice cream or pudding!

The remaining dough I placed in the freezer. After lowering the oven to 325°F and allowing the dough to chill out (HAHAHA) actual cookies happened.

2 Sticks Butter, Room Temperature
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Agave Nectar
2 Eggs, Room Temperature
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup + 2 Tbs. AP Flour
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Tsp. Kosher Salt
¼ Tsp. Cinnamon
2 Bags of Dark Chocolate Chips (24 oz. Total)

Preheat oven to 325°F
Cream butter, sugar, and agave in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes
Meanwhile, combine the oats, flour, baking salt, baking, powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl
Crack the eggs into a smaller bowl then add one at a time to the butter and sugar, with the mixer on medium
Add vanilla
Gently add the dry ingredients until just incorporated
Fold in chocolate chips
Place dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes, this makes a necessary difference
Scoop dough onto cookie sheets leaving ample space between as these will spread out
Bake in the center rack for 4-5 minutes, then move to the top rack
Continue baking for an additional 2-3 minutes until the center is set
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan before moving to a wire rack

If one doesn’t make it to the wire rack, your mouth will thank you.