It was time to try a new cookie. I’ve really been a fan lately of oatmeal cookies, so when someone on a bulletin board pointed out this cookie on the Ghirardelli website, I had to try it. How could any cookie from the folks at Ghirardelli be bad? So I started mixing together the ingredients and Zander walked in and asked what I was doing. When I told him I was making cookies, he got a strange look on his face and asked him what kind. I showed him the tub of chocolate chips and told him chocolate chip cookies, and I was then informed that he didn’t like chocolate chips anymore. Who is this kid and where did he come from?
Turns out, it’s been awhile since I specifically made a chocolate chip cookie, and I think the last time I did make some I had used Ghirardelli’s 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips, and Zander did not like them. In fact, I recall that most of those cookies went to Andy at work, because in a chocolate chip cookie, the 60% cacao just doesn’t cut it. It works in other applications, but when we want chocolate chips, we want sweet chocolate. It took a long time to convince Zander that he wanted to try these cookies yesterday. It wasn’t until his sister came home from school and reached for a second one that he determined that maybe these ones were okay. He came around, telling me he did like these chocolate chips after all, but then he asked if next time we could make cookies with white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips instead. What a guy.
I like these cookies. There’s nothing special about them, but I like the combination of oatmeal, chocolate and cinnamon. The nutmeg doesn’t seem to add much, and I’d be tempted to leave it out the next time. These cookies will go into the tried and true pile as a good ole standby. I did prefer them cooked the longer time. They are an excellent crispy cookie, but the ones baked to be soft just seemed to be not cooked enough rather than a soft cookie. I didn’t try it, but I think this would be a good candidate for turning into a jumbo cookie.
Clementine’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
from www.ghirardelli.com
12 ounce(s) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 cup(s) butter, softened
3/4 cup(s) packed brown sugar
1/2 cup(s) sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla
1 cup(s) unsifted flour
1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
3 cup(s) oats, uncooked
1 cup(s) walnuts, chopped
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color (about 4 minutes). Add vanilla and egg, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir flour with baking soda, salt, and spices; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie, 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on a cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling racks. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 6 dozen 2-inch cookies.