Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Everyone loves oatmeal cookies. Some people add raisins, which is the typical ingredient in these cookies. But being a chocoholic, I prefer chocolate chips to raisins. Recently, I made these chocolate chip oatmeal cookies on the insistent from my husband. Actually, he asked for oatmeal cookies. After I had added all the ingredients, I happened to stumble upon a bag of chocolate chips.

Cookies are a fun snack for any occasion. They may not be the most healthy food to eat (oatmeal is healthy), but cookies are listed in the top feel good comfort snacks.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (optional)

* 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

* 1/4 teaspoon allspice

* 1 teaspoon cinnamon

* 1/2 teaspoon salt

* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 3 cups old-fashioned oats, not instant or quick-cook

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 cups light brown sugar

* 2 eggs

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Note: May substitute raisins for chocolate chips or use a combination. Shortening can be used in place of butter. We were short on butter the day of the cookies. Butter adds to the taste. Either way, it is still yummy!

1. Position one oven rack in the center and another in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease 2 large baking sheets with 2 teaspoons each of the vegetable shortening. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together at medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Turn the mixer off before adding the eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until thoroughly combined.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
6. With the mixer turned off, add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until dry ingredients are just combined, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer off.
7. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts, if desired, and mix at low speed until just combined.
8. Using a 1/4-cup measure, scoop the cookie dough into 24 equal portions and place 12 of the dough balls 2 inches apart on each of the prepared baking sheets. Press the dough down slightly with your hands or the back of a spoon.
9. Using oven mitts or pot holders, transfer the baking sheets to the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes, exchanging positions of baking sheets after 10 minutes.
10. Keeping it safe with pot holders, remove the baking sheets from the oven and set aside on wire racks for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies are almost completely cooled. Remove the sheets from the racks.
11. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies from the baking sheets to the wire racks to allow them to finish cooling. Be careful-these cookies are fragile while they're warm.

YIELD: 24 extra-large cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Post Cards by Sandyspider

The lazy way to have delicious cookies is to buy them ready made. Nothing better than gourmet Belgian chocolate cookies to make your mouth water. On Amazon there is a variety of gourmet cookies to just plain good cookies that you can order to sweeten up your life.

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