4/25/13

Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies


I think everyone has a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Ol' reliable. The chocolate chip cookie recipe that comes out perfect every time, that is the perfect amount of sweet/semi-sweet, chewy/crunchy . . . The recipe that has drips of vanilla extract and a little bit of flour on it from multiple uses. Your recipe. 

I have my own personal favorite recipe, and since I found it I've rarely bothered to try other recipes. Why mess with success? Sure, I'll make a coconut almond version or try various twists on the old classic, but usually I don't even pay attention when different chocolate chip cookie recipes cross my path. That's why this recipe sat in my binder for years and years. And I want to apologize for that. I hope you will forgive me. If I had realized how wonderful it was I would have shared it with you years ago. 



What makes this recipe different and great are a few different twists and "secret" ingredients. First of all, it has oatmeal. Before you pass this off as an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, though, know that you can't actually taste the oatmeal in the finished cookie. You blend it up so it doesn't change the texture of the cookie and it helps make the them chewy. Wonderfully chewy. The lemon juice, another unusual ingredient, helps add to the chewiness, too. Finally there is cinnamon in it. But not cinnamon at a level that would make these cinnamon chocolate chip cookies. There is just enough there that if you didn't read the ingredients you'd wonder, "What is that delicious flavor?" Put all these special touches together and you've got one amazing cookie, my friend.

Even after making these just a few times, I can already tell that my ol' reliable chocolate cookie recipe has some serious competition. These cookies are nice and big, they stay chewy for days and they have just enough sweetness and chocolaty goodness. Even if you already have a favorite cookie recipe, give these a try next time you are feeling crazy in the kitchen. They deserve a special place in your heart. 



Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

HeatOvenTo350 Published 04/25/2013
Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup rolled oats, regular or quick
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
  2. In another bowl, cream butter and sugars together with an electric mixer. Add vanilla, lemon juice and eggs and beat until fluffy.
  3. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until blended completely. Add the chocolate chips and mix to distribute evenly in the dough. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice-cream scoop and place 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
  4. Bake until cookies are just starting to brown, about 11-14 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.
Yield: 24 cookies
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from an old "Easy to Bake" recipe card

8 comments:

  1. marcie @ flavor the momentsApril 25, 2013 at 8:25 AM

    I love that these have oatmeal in them -- it makes them extra interesting. You can't go wrong with that nutty flavor. I add cinnamon everywhere, pretty much, so I know I'll like these cookies! This recipe sounds great!

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  2. I think I'll be making these tonight. These sound delicious.

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  3. I'll definitely be trying this recipe. My go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe actually takes days to make because the dough has to sit in the fridge for 72 hours. Great cookies, but not conducive to late night cravings! These sound much faster and I love the addition of the oat flour.

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  4. I just had it pointed out to me that I left out the granulated sugar in this recipe. I hope you didn't try to make these and they failed on you. I'm so sorry! I updated the recipe to include the white sugar.

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  5. Actually, I ended having to wait because we were out of eggs. I planned on making them this weekend. Thanks for the update.

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  6. Ohhh I will have to try your suggestions! My "ol' reliable" is basically the recipe on the bag of the chip bag, but with a few changes: namely, reducing flour so you get a flatter, crisper cookie (I'm one of those weirdos who prefers crispy to chewy!), and using browned butter. Adding oats intrigues me!

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  7. I use the chip bag recipe but add in three extras: roasted cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. More cinnamon than nutmeg, more nutmeg than cayenne pepper, and go lightly on the pepper :) Definitely going to do some experimenting with the lemon juice and oats, though!

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  8. Oooh, those are some great secret ingredients, Hannah! I've never tried nutmeg in there, and I've only had cayenne pepper in brownies but I loved it. I'm going to have to try that out!

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