Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are all about flexibility.

You see, I ran out of brown sugar about a week ago, and I forgot to pick some up at the store last weekend.

Disclaimer: I could have solved my problem. Easily. Within a five-minute walk from my apartment, there are at least two 24-hour grocery stores and bodegas that would definitely have brown sugar. Also, it was the middle of the day. And it was beautiful out. I could have left the house and enjoyed it.

Needless to say, I didn't. I proceeded to make cookies with no brown sugar, substituting molasses and white sugar instead.

I was nervous at first. The dough had that distinctive molasses taste at first, and I worried it would show its face in the final product. It seemed too strong.

I persevered. I kept eating cookie dough. All of a sudden, I didn't mind the molasses at all.

Then I let the dough chill for a few hours and baked it up.

I bit into the first one before it cooled.

Delicious. No molasses taste at all. Chewy, with a bit of a crunch on the outside. Just loaded with chocolate chunks. 

I made these cookies for my mom to celebrate her birthday, loaded with oatmeal just like she likes them. I shipped them off this weekend in hopes they'll be to her today. 

Happy birthday to you, Mom! Sending lots of love your way. Like the molasses, I hope these cookies will substitue a bit for my absence. Wish I could be there with you today!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

This recipe yields about 2 dozen large cookies. 

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, unsalted, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons dark molasses

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 2/3 cups old-fashioned oats

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with an electric mixer) beat butter until light in color and fluffy. Add sugar, molasses, salt and vanilla. Beat the mixture until well mixed, approximately 3 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the bowl. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cinnamon. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture. Beat until just incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add the second half of the flour and mix until incorporated. 

Remove the mixer from the stand. Add oats and chocolate chips, stirring well until combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 4 hours (though cookies baked earlier will probably still be tasty). 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and place 2 tablespoon sized scoops of cookie dough about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. The cookies will spread a bit. 

Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until just beginning to brown and still not 100 percent cooked on top. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Keep at room temperature for about 4 days, or keep the cookies in the freezer for longer.