Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I find it hard to eat just one of these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are chewy, chocolatey and one of my favorites.

The secret to making these is to use premium dark chocolate chips (I used Callebaut Belgian dark chocolate chips but I also like Fred Meyer Private Selection Dark Chocolate Chunks) and a hearty dose of sea salt which in my opinion makes just about every sweet so much better.

This is a quick recipe to make and something I often find myself throwing together last minute.


Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes 4 dozen cookies)

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4  teaspoon sea salt
4 3/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the shortening, butter, sugars and vanilla.  Add the eggs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the flour and mix again. Finally stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Scoop 1-inch balls and place 1-inch apart on lightly greased or parchment-lined sheetpans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Let the cookies cool a bit on the sheetpan before transferring them to cooling racks.

Orange Scented Shortbread

A new find, a bottle of Orange Peel from Penzys Spices, was the inspiration that led me to create this delicious shortbread that I think I made even better with a dip in dark Belgian chocolate.

I found the unusual product on a shopping trip with my dear friend Pam who was visiting from Seattle. We were heading towards Powell's Bookstore when we walked by the shop on NW 10th Avenue and I suggested we go inside. 

Penzys is a company I want to support not only because it sells the best tasting and freshest spices, but because it's been very generous to The Wednesday Community Meal. In the past they've given us cases of black pepper, chicken stock, ham stock and beef stock — staples we need and use regularly at our meal.

At the store, there was a sample of the Orange Peel that I smelled and was immediately blown away. The orange scent was so strong and so fresh that I knew it was a product I wanted to try and use and that's how this shortbread came about. 

Before I added the peel to my shortbread dough, I re-hydrated it by soaking it in a tablespoon of vanilla. The smell of this vanilla orange combination was intoxicating, reminding me of the scent of a Creamsicle or Orange Julius. Why can't anyone make perfume that smells this good?

Here's the recipe:

Orange Scented Shortbread
(makes about 6 dozen)
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons Penzys Orange Peel (Note: If this product isn't available, you can use 5 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest.)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar, optional (for rolling the cookies in before baking)

In a small container, combine the orange peel with the vanilla and let this set for about 10 minutes.

Mix the orange peel in the vanilla and set it aside for a bit.

The peel will soak up the vanilla and it will look like this.

Cream together the butter, vanilla/orange mixture, sea salt and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add the flour and mix just until combined.

The mixed dough.

Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap each third in a piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log about 1.5 inches in diameter. If you are having trouble shaping the logs, just do your best and then let the dough chill for 30 minutes to firm up — then re-roll and re-shape the logs. Let the logs chill for at least 2 hours before slicing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If desired, roll the logs in raw sugar (I do this extra step because I like the crunch and look that the sugar gives the cookies), and cut 1/4-inch thick rounds from the logs. Then cut the rounds in half.

Cutting the cookies.

Ready for the oven!

Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving about 2-inches of space between them. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden on the edges and set. Let the cookies cool completely before dipping.

Dipping the Cookies:
10 oz. dark chocolate, divided (I like Callebaut brand Belgian chocolate best)

First off, have your cookies at hand, ready to dip and a counter or sheetpans lined with parchement paper before you prepare the chocolate. You have to have a place to set your cookies after dipping.

Place 8 oz. of the chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. You need to use a bowl that adequately holds the chocolate but is small enough so that the chocolate isn't too spread out. You need depth for the dipping.

Microwave the chocolate in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring after each until the chocolate is thoroughly melted. Immediately add the remaining 2 oz. of chocolate and stir until it's also thoroughly melted. This is called the seeding method and is a simple way to temper the chocolate.

Dip a cookie about 1/4 into the melted chocolate and give it a gentle shake to remove any excess. Place the cookie on parchment and keep working quickly until all the cookies have been dipped. Leave the cookies on the parchment until the chocolate is completely set.

Walnutty Chocolate Chip Cookies

I enjoy making fancy decorated cookies but truth be told, there really isn't anything that tastes better than chocolate chip — Especially when they're served warm with a glass of cold milk.

This recipe is my version of the classic Tollhouse recipe with walnuts.

My tweaks to the original are to use dark chocolate chips, heartier doses of vanilla and sea salt and use shortening in addition to unsalted butter. The butter adds flavor and the shortening adds chewiness and softness to the cookie, which is the way I like them. I think you'll like them too.

Here's the recipe:

Walnutty Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes about 5 dozen 2-inch cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 cups flour
3 cups dark chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, whip together the butter, shortening, sugars and vanilla until light and creamy. Add the eggs and mix until well-combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add this to the butter/egg mixture and mix until well-combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and waltnuts.

The finished cookie dough ready to be scooped.

Use a 1-inch scoop or teaspoon to scoop balls of dough and place them 2-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until they are golden brown just around the edges. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes on the sheetpans before transferring them to a baker's rack to cool completely.

Pink Vanilla-Almond Shortbread

Because the flavors of almond and cherry taste so similar and these cookies are pink, I almost named them "Mock-Cherry Shortbread." And, when I asked my husband what flavor he thought they were, cherry was his very first guess.

No matter the name, these pink shortbread cookies are pretty, delicious and simple to make. Using the slicing method you can have these cookies ready to go into the oven in no time.

I also coated the cookies with pink sanding sugar for a glitter effect and extra crunch. If you don't have pink sanding sugar (I bought mine at a baking supply store), use turbinado sugar, it works just as well.

Here's the recipe:

Pink Vanilla-Almond Shortbread

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 1/2 cups flour
a few drops pink food coloring (I like the gel paste coloring)
1/2 cup pink sanding sugar or turbinado sugar

The coloring and sanding sugar that I used.

In a stand mixer combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, sea salt and pink coloring. Whip until well-combined and light and fluffy.

Add the flour and mix just until combined.

Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each in plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate the rolls for at least 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line four baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the logs from the plastic wrap and roll in the sanding sugar, using your hands to gently press it in and evenly coat the logs.

Slice off 1/4 inch rounds and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart. Bake for 18 minutes or until golden brown just along the edges.

Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

These decadent Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies are for tomorrow night's Beatles Concert to benefit The Wednesday Community Meal.  

I made them by whipping up a double batch of my favorite recipe for Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies and then adding a 10-ounces of dark chocolate chunks. 

These cookies are rich and satisfying but it's still hard to eat just one as my husband and I can attest to. I finally had to put them into a metal tin and wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap to keep us from getting more. I need them to last for the concert!

Here's the recipe:

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

(makes 6 dozen 2-inch cookies)
2 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/3 cup old-fashioned crunchy peanut butter
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
10 ounces dark chocolate chunks

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.

In a large bowl, whip together the peanut butter and shortening. Add the sugars and beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix well. Stir in flour mixture. And, finally stir in the chocolate chunks.

A 1-inch scoop is a useful tool for getting even-sized balls of dough. Just scoop and then roll the dough in your hand and place it on the baking sheet.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and space them apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten the cookies by patten them down with your hand.

Bake the cookies for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.


 

Chocolate Shortbread

I had such success with creating a recipe for Espresso Shortbread Cookies that I decided I should come up with another version of the recipe and that's how these Chocolate Shortbread cookies came about.

What makes them different and in my mind better than traditional chocolate shortbread is that I used finely chopped dark chocolate in the dough instead of cocoa powder. The tiny bits of chocolate enhance the texture of the cookies by adding flecks of melted chocolate goodness.

I like these a lot and they are simple to make. Here is the recipe:

Chocolate Shortbread
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1  tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
10 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (use a food processor to do this)
1/2 cup turbinado sugar (for coating the cookies before baking)

Cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and sea salt. Add the flour and mix just until the dough begins to come together. Add the chocolate and mix until a soft dough forms.

Add the finely chopped chocolate after the flour has been mixed for a bit and the dough is just about ready to come together.

The finished dough will look like this.

Divide the dough into thirds and place each third on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic wrap over the dough and shape into even-sized logs or long rectangles about 1.5-inches in diameter.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Place the turbinado sugar on a piece of parchment or plastic wrap. Roll each of chilled logs into the sugar, being careful to coat them evenly. You might need to use your hands to help press the sugar into the dough.

The turbinado sugar and a chilled log of dough.

The log after being evenly coated with sugar.

Slice the logs into 1/4-inch-thick cookies. Place the cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, being sure to leave at least 1-inch of space between them.  Bake the cookies in a 350 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a bit on the pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

Slicing off the cookies.

Make sure you leave space between the cookies since they will grow during baking.

Let the cookies cool for a bit before transferring to a cooling rack.

Big Batch Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

These Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies are the answer for when you find yourself in a bind, needing lots of cookies for an event, wanting to serve something delicious and homemade, but not having the time to make multiple kinds or multiple batches.

They are chewy, oaty and crowd pleasing. I've found that even people who aren't fans of oatmeal raisin cookies like these and a single batch makes more than 10 dozen cookies. I recently made them for the Wednesday Community Meal and from one batch I got 127 2.5-inch cookies.

So the next time you need lots of cookies, simply get out your sheetpans and whip up these. You'll see it's not so hard to feed a crowd.

Here's the recipe:

Big Batch Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
6 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your sheetpans with parchment paper. Having a convection oven is helpful because you can bake multiple trays of cookies at once. Because it has a fan, a convection oven evenly distributes the heat and you don't have to worry about burning on the bottom or top racks.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening and sugars. You can do this with a hand mixer or my preference is to use a sturdy wooden spoon and really do it by hand. The shortening is soft and easy to mix. Add the vanilla, eggs, baking soda and sea salt and mix again. Add the flour and mix until combined and finally stir in the oatmeal and dried cranberries.

The finished dough.

Use a 1-inch scoop or teaspoon to form small balls. Place 12 of the balls on each of the prepared  sheetpans,  being sure to space them 2-inches apart. Lightly pat the balls down with your hand and bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Be sure to space the cookies at least 2-inches apart because they will spread during baking.

Let the cookies cool for a bit on the sheetpans before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

If you need a last minute crowd pleasing treat, these Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are just the thing to make.

The recipe calls for shortening instead of butter which makes a chewier cookie which is what I prefer. If you want a crisper cookie you could substitute half of the shortening for butter.

A good dose of sea salt and using premium dark chocolate chips (I use Callebaut) are what makes these cookies really stand out.

Only one bowl is needed to mix them up and in no time you'll have fresh baked cookies and the best smelling house on the block. The recipe makes five dozen 2-inch cookies.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
(makes 5 dozen cookies)

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening, sugars and vanilla.  Add the eggs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add the flour and mix again.

Adding the flour.

Mixing in the flour.

Finally stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Add the oatmeal and dark chocolate chips.

After stirring, the dough is ready to scoop.

Scoop 1-inch balls and place 2-inchs apart on lightly greased or parchment lined sheetpans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cookies that are ready to bake.

Let the cookies cool a bit on the sheetpan before transferring them to cooling racks.

Mmmmm warm cookies!

Chewy Oatmeal, Coconut And Dark Chocolate Cookies

 The only way I could think of making my favorite recipe for oatmeal coconut cookies any better was to add dark chocolate chunks, so that's what I did recently and now there's no going back to the original.

These chewy cookies are downright addictive. One batch makes three dozen so be sure you have a plan of how your are going to share them before you make them. If not, you'll be in danger of eating way too many.


Chewy Oatmeal, Coconut And Dark Chocolate Cookies
(makes 3 dozen)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, loosely packed
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 12 oz package dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whip together the butter and the shortening. Add the sugars and the vanilla and cream until light and smooth. Add the eggs and beat again.

Add the salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix well. Add the flour and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the coconut and oatmeal until evenly distributed. Finally, stir in the chocolate.

Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Leave at least 2-inches between cookies. Use your hand to slightly flatten the balls.

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before removing to place on a cooling rack.

Simple Shortbread

An unlikely pair: Glamorous chocolate mousse and simple shortbread for dessert.

Okay - when it comes to cookies, plain-Jane shortbread isn't going to win a beauty contest. But as we all should know, that's not what's most important.

It's what's on the inside that counts, and in my mind shortbread wins the hospitality award every time. Its sweet buttery deliciousness is comforting, welcoming and people love it.

For a recent dinner, I put a slice of shortbread next to a fancy homemade chocolate mousse and although the latter was delicious, I kid you not, it really was the shortbread that I loved most.

The shortbread was also way easier to make that's why I'm calling the recipe Simple Shortbread.

Here's how to make it:

Simple Shortbread
(makes 16 cookies)

2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons granulated sugar


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a 9-inch pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Cream together the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the salt and baking powder and mix well. Finally add the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.

Mix the dough just until it comes together.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pie pan and press it evenly into the pan.

Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan.

Use a sharp knife to score the dough into 16 wedges. Use a fork to prick the dough. Sprinkle the top with the granulated sugar.

Score the dough into 16-wedges.

Prick the wedges with a fork.

Almost ready for the oven.

Finally, sprinkle on the two tablespoons of granulated sugar. Now it's ready to bake!

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Following the score marks, cut the shortbread into wedges. It's important to cut the wedges while the shortbread is warm.

While the shortbread is warm, follow the score marks and cut into wedges. Let the cookies cool before removing from the pan and serving.

Let cool before serving.