The Tastiest Cookies Ever

Hi Friends!

My friend Jen B brought these to a dinner party I went to recently.

The cookies and I met and I think I've fallen in love with them!  The cinnamon, nutmeg and Hershey's squares make these cookies extraordinary.  Be sure to read Jen's hints at the bottom of the recipe.

Leah's Cookies (From the Peach Tree Tea Room Cookbook)

2.5 cups oats (regular or quick)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour (I use one cup whole wheat, one white)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 4-ounce milk chocolate Hershey bar, cut into 1/2" squares

1.5 cups chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Blend oats in a food processor or blender to make an oat flour (I use the Vitamixer – the best kitchen appliance ever.)  Combine oat flour, wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinamon, nutmeg and salt in one bowl.  Set aside.

Using an electic mixer, cream butter and both sugars.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix well.

Now add flour mixture from other bowl (about a quarter of it at a time) to the egg/butter/sugar mixture.  Blend well.

Stir in chocolate chips, candy bar and optional nuts.  The dough is so thick I often have to mix this part by hand.

Form 1/4 cup sized balls using a measuring cup or ice cream scooper and place about 8 cookies on each cookie sheet.  

Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  I add a couple of minutes if the cookies are going to get eaten right away.  Otherwise, the cookies should be so slightly starting to turn golden.  They will seem underdone and will be very soft — this is the key to chewy cookies once they have cooled.  Let cookies sit on the tray for about five minutes untit they have set up a bit, then transfer them to a drying rack or some wax paper to cool.

Tips from Jen

(I like to make one sheet of cookies right away, since we cannot stand to wait to eat them after mixing the batter.  Then I usually form the rest of the balls and store them in the fridge so we can eat or deliver fresh baked cookies for up to a few days.  When cooking from the fridge, the cookies will be smaller in diameter but every bit as tasty.)

Thanks Jen!  

See ya tomorrow for A Crafty Soiree