The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies…ever

Well… it's been a while. Sorry about that. I know my two followers have been sitting on the edge of their seats. ;)

So much has changed since I last posted in December.I got a new job. My husband got a new job. We bought a new house. We moved… and it's delicious. 

We decided that it was time for some serious change. When an awesome job opportunities came along in a community that we've been dreaming of moving to and it all came together in a matter of days, we knew God was shoving us out the door. Much scurry and stress later, we have finally settled (mostly) and I've been itching to get back on my blog on my old computer at my new desk. 

To celebrate my return to blogging, I thought it only fit to recover with one of my old faves. THE best chocolate chip cookies. ever… ever. 

Are you old enough to remember email forwards? If you are, you may remember an oldie but a goodie about a woman and her daughter who went to Neiman Marcus for lunch and the mom so loved the cookie she had for dessert that she asked for the recipe only to be charged some insane amount of money so she got her revenge by sending it out to everyone she knew over email asking them to forward it. False. But, a good cookie recipe regardless. So here's my slightly modified version. 

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. Ever. 
click above for easy print version

2 c. butter, softened
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 ts. vanilla
5 c. oatmeal, blended
4 c. flour
2 ts. baking soda
2 ts. baking powder
1 ts. salt
12 oz. Hershey bar, grated
24 oz. chocolate chips (2 bags… I like milk chocolate chips for this one)
1-2 cups of chopped walnuts (totally optional. I don't like a ton of nuts myself.)

Cream butter and both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla. Measure the oatmeal and blend in a blender or food processor to a fine powder. Mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Grate the Hershey bar and stir into the flour mixture. Combine the flour and butter and sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Roll into balls (about the size of ping pong balls) and place on a parchment papered cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 12 dozen (aka, a lot!)

Note that the cookies might look a little underdone at 10 minutes but I promise they turn out perfectly every time! Not too soft, not too crumbly. 

Blended oatmeal in my ninja

 

I used to actually bust out my box grater and scrape my knuckles on this madness… I since learned to use a ninja or food processor. It's a little less perfect but saves me a lot of time and frustration. I'll accept a little help in the kitchen any time. 

Here's that beautiful chocolate all crumble up to mix in with my flour. 

The "real" recipe calls for 3 cups of walnuts! I think it overwhelms the chocolate so I just grab a good handful of walnuts, chop them fine and toss them in. 

Here's the dough. Don't be afraid to get your hands in there. It's way too much dough to waste time with a wooden spoon. 

Yup, that's after 10 minutes. They look underdone but if you leave them to cool a few minutes, they settle into these delicious babies:

There they are! A little more complex than your average chocolate chip cookie but so worth it! Enjoy!

~Nina