Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Charlotte Siems

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies - made dough July 17, 2024 from Charlotte Siems 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups old-fashioned oats

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, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minute.
3. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to mixing bowl in 2 additions, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined.
5. Mix in oats until evenly disbursed. Batter will be stiff; do not overbeat.
6. Portion into golf-ball-size dough balls and evenly space on baking sheets. Bake 11-12 minutes or until edges are set and middles no longer look raw. Remove from heat and let cookies rest on baking sheet for several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Although I've been able to bake for local opportunities and do non-care-package-friendly baked goods, 90% of my baking is still for military care packages as part of my volunteer work with Soldiers Angels to support deployed military troops. 

Whenever you see a cookie post, 99% of the time, it's for those care packages. Like this one. I like to send cookies with oatmeal in it in the (probably mistaken) belief that they're somewhat healthier. Oats, right? And I use the old-fashioned kind as more whole and less processed than their instant oats cousins. Just ignore the butter, sugar and flour that also goes into the cookies.

This one is slightly different from the norm in that they're chocolate oatmeal cookies. Not my usual fare but it sounded intriguing enough to try it. Whenever you make oatmeal cookies, I advise portioning into dough balls then chilling them overnight in the refrigerator, not the freezer. Not only does it help "age" the dough to more flavor but it can let the oats soak up a bit more moisture. Then you can freeze or bake.

This dough handled well and the cookies baked up to a decent thickness without spreading too much. Because they're chocolate, they can be more difficult to tell when they're done since you can't go by "golden brown" edges as with non-chocolate cookies. I timed them (sort of) and took them out when the tops looked a little dry and cracked but you can still see some of the chocolate dough as soft. When they cool, they settle into fudgy.

I thought these were good as oatmeal cookies with the zing of chocolate. It wasn't too sweet because chocolate... The texture was chewy like a good oatmeal cookie should be and you can't go wrong with chocolate. Oatmeal cookies aren't traditionally my favorite but care packages are literally not about me so I hope the service members I sent these to enjoyed them.