Allison's Chocolate Chip Cookies [Guest Post]

As someone who reads a lot of food blogs and watches many cooking shows, I cannot hear the phrase, "the best chocolate chip cookies" without rolling my eyes. Thus, when I met my roommate Allison and she told me she made the best chocolate chip cookies, my eyes nearly rolled all the way to the back of my head. "I've been perfecting these cookies since I was in middle school," she proclaimed confidently, but I still wasn't convinced.

And then she made them...and I became a believer. These cookies are in full dessert form--not vegan, not sugar-free, not whole wheat--but they contain a few special ingredients that will take the average cookie to the next level. One of these ingredients is oatmeal; that's probably why I love these chewy little rockstars so much! With a little persuasion (very little, actually), I convinced Allison to share her secret recipe on the blog for all of you.

As Lauren’s roommate, I am happy to report that her oatmeal tastes just as good as it looks. I will be the first to admit that I don’t eat oatmeal everyday—mornings are hard—but when I do, my porridges are almost always Oatmeal Artist recipes made by the Oatmeal Artist herself. What can I say, I’m spoiled!

The following recipe will probably be the first and only time that this blog will feature anything so explicitly unhealthy. Lauren and I have similar philosophies about fresh, unprocessed food, but she has better willpower. Sometimes you just want a cookie, ya know?

These chocolate chip cookies are not your average, run-of-the-mill Chips Ahoy. No, my friends, these cookies took several months of careful calibration and taste testing, many years ago. Since then, I have not looked back, and this has become my go-to recipe whenever I needed to bake something that was both quick to make and interesting to eat.

These cookies are a hit with kids and adults alike, and work during all times of the year. Thanks to the oatmeal and walnuts, these cookies offer a rich, chewy texture, while the extra cinnamon gives them a bit more of a kick. (Make sure to add the total amount of spice in the recipe—it may seem like a lot, but I promise you it’s worth it!) Additionally, there’s not as much sugar in the batter as other cookies, which serves to highlight the chocolate and the oatmeal flavors a little bit more. Just make sure to use instant oats—anything else will make your cookies sad and runny. Try them with a glass of homemade lemonade during the summer for a refreshing treat, and let me know what you think in the comments below!

- Allison

Allison's Chocolate Chip Cookies

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

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Ingredients (~30 cookies)

• 1 and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup instant oats (we used Country Choice Organic)
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Using a stand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy. Then, beat in the egg.
4. Add flour mixture gradually with mixer on a low setting.
5. Once batter is combined, add in chocolate chips, walnuts, and oats. Beat on a low setting until mixed in.
6. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls (should be small and pillowy) onto ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake 10-14 minutes, and let cool on the pan for 2 minutes before moving to a wire rack.

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!