Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Do you like cookies? I love cookies. I mean, I LOVE COOKIES! It can't be understated, so logically I went searching for the ultimate cookie recipe on the internet. I've come to the realization that if you need to research something, you might as well look no further than the internet, and specifically Google. Unfortunately, Google seems to have a monopoly on internet search, but that's neither here nor there.

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Regardless of what kind of mood I'm in at the time, chocolate chip cookies always seem to make the day a little bit better. I don't always have a sweet tooth, per se, but when I do, then cookies certainly help to fill the craving.

What are your favorite kind of cookies? Certainly, everybody would or should have one. Mine used to be oatmeal raisin, but I ate so many of them growing up, at my grandparents' house, that I kinda got burnt out on them.

Now, when I get the urge to bake some cookies, i usually just start with a variation on the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe. The recipe can be found anywhere online where recipes are part of the website

These easy drop cookies are crisp on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Chocolate minichips disperse better in the batter, but you can use regular chips.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.

Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.

Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)

CALORIES 81 (33% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 1.4g,mono 1g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 10mg; CALCIUM 12mg; CARBOHYDRATE 12.9g; SODIUM 76mg; PROTEIN 1.1g; FIBER 0.5g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007

So, this is the recipe I ultimately came up with. The landscape is literally inundated with recipe possibilities, but I decided to make this batch. Not bad either, not as chewy as I would like, but no other complaints.

I've found that placing a slice of bread in the cookie jar keeps most cookies amazingly chewy, just a little tidbit I was able to also glean from the internet.

As you can see from the recipe, Pecans have also been added. I found that these helped add a little crisp to the bite. Raisins would also be a viable option. Plenty of tweaking can be done to cookie recipes, maybe that's another thing I love about them; I can let my creative juices flow

If you make the recipe, drop me a line or a comment and let me know how they turned out and what you think...

Here's a quick video I found on Youtube. Kinda gives an idea of the process of preparing a truly great and delicious chocolate chip cookie, and this one has oats in it too...

Now, if you're concerned about sugar intake, and quite honestly why wouldn't you be, then sugar substitutes are available instead. Splenda makes a particularly smooth transition into baked goods, but here's a break-down of your options, should you decide to go that way

SWEET ONE (Acesulfame-k)

4 calories per packet - 12 packets = 1 cup sugar - 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar. Can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness

EQUAL (Aspartame)

4 calories per packet 24 packets = 1 cup sugar - 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar. Loses sweetness when baked at high temperatures for a long periods of time. Can be used in stir-fries or added during last few minutes of heating or cooking. Equal has developed some baked recipes to use the sweetener

EQUAL SPOONFUL (Aspartame)

2 calories per teaspoon - 1 cup = 1 cup sugar - 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon. Loses sweetness when heated to high temperatures for long periods of time. Can be used spoon for spoon in place of sugar in same foods as Equal. Equal has developed some baked recipes to use the sweetener with no breakdown.

SPLENDA (Sucralose)

0 (zero) calories - 1 cup = 1 cup sugar - 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon. Splenda may not work well in recipes such as certain cakes that rely upon sugar for structure. Finished recipes may require refrigeration to help set.

SWEET 'N LOW (Saccharin)

4 calories per packet - 2 packets = 1 cup sugar - 1 packet = 2 teaspoons sugar. Can be used in cooking and baking without losing sweetness, very low maintenance.

BROWN SWEET 'N LOW (Saccharin)

20 calories per teaspoon - 4 teaspoons = 1 cup brown sugar - 1 teaspoon = 1/4 cup brown sugar. Can be used in cooking or baking without losing sweetness. Take note that measurements differ from packet sweeteners.

And once you've baked the perfect batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or any other delicious cookie recipes for that matter, then check out some options for glass storage jars or containers to help keep them fresh for days.

Looking for other great recipes? Check out some great sweet potato recipes or sweet potato fries recipes and see what all the hullabaloo is about