Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies - made dough September 2, 2022 from Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 cup dried cherries (omitted, added more chocolate chips)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until combined.
3. Stir in the oats, flour, baking soda and salt until combined. Stir in the milk, dried cherries and chocolate chips until combined.
4. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, flatten slightly and evenly space on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and middles no longer look raw. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before transferring cookies to wire rack to cool completely. 

My friend Rick emailed me out of the blue one night and I was reminded of his favorite cookie, oatmeal chocolate chip. I used to bring them to work and give Rick a heads up. After we both left the company, I'd occasionally mail oatmeal chocolate chip cookies to him (and his family as presumably he shared the cookies) whenever I tried out a new recipe for them.

So in honor of Rick, I tried out another new recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip from one of my baking books by Emily Luchetti. My criteria for a cookie to truly be an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie instead of a chocolate chip cookie with some oats in them is that it has to contain more oats than flour. This one does.

I used old-fashioned oats instead of instant or quick cooking as I find they're more hearty and are more chewy. This was a true oatmeal cookie. It was a little sweet and some of the cookies came out a little misshapen so I don't think I kept the dough as even textured during mixing as I should have. If you want to soften the oats a bit, after making the dough, refrigerate it overnight to let the oats and flour absorb more moisture. 

This had great caramelization and the semisweet chocolate worked well to offset a little of the sweetness. Sadly for Rick, I mailed these in care packages for Soldiers Angels rather than sending them to him but shhh, no need to tell him that.