Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

So my friend who is in Advanced Individual Training in the Army requested Chewy Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal Cookies in his next care package. I decided to combine to two. I therefore went to the smartest person I know, the Internet. I searched and saw that many of the cookie recipes were similar. 

My Recipe

I took notes and compared 5 different recipes. Then I took what I thought would be best from each or what was similar in most of the recipes and make my own. I probably should have watched Alton Brown or read his cook books on the subject in order to really get a perfect recipe but I winged it. (The same friend bought me all 3 of Alton's cookbooks! Eeep!!! Was so surprised and happy when I got it in the mail. :))

Here are how the cookies turned out. They are more crunchy than chewy but I think it's because they are too small. I made the recipe and then split it in half for Chocolate and Peanut butter chip cookies and Chocolate and Walnut cookies. 

They both turned out to be very yummy but it was a workout! I only have a hand mixer so creaming the butter and mixing this batter was really hard. My right arm got a workout mixing in the oats and chips as well. Now I need to work out my left arm a little to even them out. :p 

After they cooled enough to touch, I couldn't help myself and ate 2 cookies. I surprised myself at how fast they went into my tummy. :) There was a strong smell of pumpkin because I used pumpkin pie spice but I think I will leave it out next time. If you don't smell it, the cookies taste just fine but the smell was kind of overwhelming. I packaged them up in bags and jars.

I am going to send a tin full to my friend, Bunny. And a jar full to my Army friend. I might have to take out some stuff from his care package to send more cookies. That way, I don't get fat eating them all. :)

Here is the recipe I used:

- Unsalted Butter 1 cup

- White Granulated Sugar 1 cup

- Dark Brown sugar (packed) 1 cup

- Eggs - 2

- Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoonful

- All-purpose flour 1 1/2 cup

- Baking soda 1 teaspoon

- salt (take out if using salted butter) 1/2 teaspoonful

- Cinnamon (optional) 1 teaspoonful

- Nutmeg (optional) 1/4- 1/2 teaspoonful
- Pumpkin spice (optional) 1/2 teaspoonful 

- Quick oats 3 cups

- chocolate chips - 1-1.5 cups

- peanut butter chips 1/2 cup

- chopped walnuts 1/2-1 cup

1. pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together

3. add eggs and vanilla
4. In a separate bowl combine/shift together: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg
5. combine butter and flour mixtures
6. stir in oats and chocolate chips
7. separate batter into 2
8. add walnuts to 1/2 and peanut butter chips to the other 1/2
9. Let batter cool in fridge for at least 20min.
10. Drop rounded tablespoonful of the batter onto an un-greased non-stick cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other
11. Bake for 9-12 min, rotating halfway through. Pull the cookies when the edges are browned and the center is still a little gooey. The cookies will finish on the warm sheet and it will make the cookies more chewy.
12. let cool on the sheet for 1-2 min
13. let cool completely on cooling rack
(Let the cookie sheet cool completely before the next batch.)

I read on the comment section of the recipes that some people had their cookies fall flat. Some tips to avoid that: do not grease your cookie sheet, chill the batter before you bake it, don't over cook it, and heap on the batter. :)

Hope you have a good baking experience! :)