Best-EVER Oatmeal Double-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Best-EVER Oatmeal Double-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup butter (2 cubes), at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats*

½ cup quick oats*

½ cup Grape Nuts cereal or cluster-less granola* 

1 ½ cups chopped fine-quality milk or dark chocolate, or mix of both*

*See notes at end of recipe! 

Combine soft butter with sugars, blend well until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour with baking soda and salt, add to moist ingredients.

Stir in oats, grape nuts/granola if using, and lastly, chopped chocolate.

Refrigerate cookie dough for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place two oven racks in center of oven.

Form chilled dough into balls using a heaping tablespoon for each cookie. Place balls one inch apart on lined baking sheets. Bake for 4-5 minutes, then turn pans and switch between oven racks. Bake an additional 4-5 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned on top and on edges. Do not overbake; cookies ought to be slightly soft in center when pans are removed from oven.

Gently transfer cookies as immediately as possible (ideally sliding the parchment sheets from baking pans), to wire racks. Do not be concerned if cookies appear underbaked – once cooled slightly, they become truly perfect crispy-and-chewy cookies.

Let cookies cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

Note: Grape Nuts are toasted whole wheat and barley nugget cereal, popular in America. Plain granola that is not in large clusters may also be used (easier to find in Europe!) If you’re unable to find this cereal, or a substitute like it, simply use an additional ½ cup of old-fashioned oats.

The cookie is just crunchier with the Grape Nuts/granola and, my original recipe used only oats and no one ever, ever, ever complained!

You may also use just one kind of oats if you’re not able to find both old-fashioned and quick oats; you’ll find that the recipe is quite forgiving ... ;)

Re: the chocolate, rave reviews are highest, in my experience ;) when I use a mix of both fine dark and milk chocolate !