Quick Cook: Make Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Comfort Cookies

In a world where there are thousands of chocolate chip cookie recipes, this is the one I keep returning to. It’s ideal when I want a crispy, dunkable, comforting oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with extra chew time to work through good ol’ rolled oats, some I’m not sure what you are but I like that you’re there fibery bits, little hits of buttery walnuts, and, of course, the requisite dark chocolate chunks. The coconut does not make this taste like a coconut cookie; instead, it works with the ground flax and whole wheat flour to add a subtle richness, chewiness, and lattice texture that will keep you coming back for more.

To achieve the desired crispy texture, use real old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats). In my baking, I prefer the richness and saltiness of Irish butter, but you can use regular salted butter instead. If you only want to make one cookie sheet full and save the rest for fresh-baked cookies later, wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and roll it into a thick log before freezing it, so you can simply slice it into half-inch thick discs to bake when the craving strikes.

Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Comfort Cookies

Makes about 2½ dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ground flax meal

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1½ cups chopped walnuts

2 cups dark chocolate chips/chunks

¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, optional, for sprinkling tops

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set aside 3 cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with a whisk) until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Place 2- to 3-tablespoon mounds of dough on the cookie sheets, about three inches apart, and flatten each mound with your palm until it forms a flat circle about 12-inch thick. Before baking, lightly sprinkle the tops with coarse sea salt.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crisp, on one cookie sheet at a time, on the center rack of the oven. Allow the cookie to cool completely on the baking sheet for a crisper cookie. Store in an airtight container once completely cool for up to five days.