Cooking From Every Angle
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
- Amanda
I've never been a huge oatmeal cookie fan. They're too sweet, too buttery, too straight-A student for me. What they need, in my view, is some bitterness, and that's easy to come by in chocolate. So I took the one oatmeal cookie I can tolerate -- a 1966 Kentucky State Fair winner that's crisp with a shortening base, and not too sweet -- and added both cocoa and chopped chocolate. It's important to chop the chocolate by hand so you get a blend of shards and chunks. The shards melt into the dough, increasing the gooeyness, and the chunks offer relief from the do-good oats. I also underbake them slightly so they stay soft in the center while the edges shatter with each bite.
Makes about 60 cookies
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here. Like this post? See Amanda's post from last week: Grilled Lamb with Eggplant, Mint, and Feta Photos by Nicole Franzen
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amanda
Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addie.
Comments (31)
over 1 year ago amy_saia_thompson
These turned out great. They were a hit. Thank you!
over 1 year ago coffeefoodwritergirl
Oh, these look yummy! Going to try them tonight....:-)
over 1 year ago campbell
I've had chocolate oatmeal cookies on my mind for a week!
Thanks - these will be the perfect after-school treat.
over 1 year ago campbell
I've had chocolate oatmeal cookies on my mind for a week.
Thank you for this recipe! Perfect after-school treat.
over 1 year ago campbell
I've had chocolate oatmeal cookies on my mind for a week.
Thank you for this recipe! Perfect after-school treat.
over 1 year ago quadbob
I used semi-sweet chocolate chips and the 3 cups of oats called for in the original recipe and the result was really delicious cookies. A teaspoon of sea salt whisked into the flour gave the occasional surprise salty taste in the sweet chocolate, oatmeal flavor.
over 1 year ago Chef Maya
I used butter instead of shortening, no walnuts and a few extra oats and chocolate chunks and they came out great! At 12 minutes they definatley didn't look done but once they cooled and set they were perfectly chewy and moist! Next time i might try white chocolate chunks or almond extract with slivered almonds instead of walnuts! Great recipe, thanks!
over 1 year ago Cookhacker
I found that same thing happened with my recipe below...they also didn't look done (at about 11 minutes)...they looked puffed up and a little doughy, but as they cooled they "collapsed" a little and were perfectly chewy and moist with a little crispness at the edges.
Cookhacker
over 1 year ago Cookhacker
Those look great...will definitely give them a try. My all-time favorite Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie recipe is the one made famous at the Frog Commissary, a restaurant in Philadelphia that was popular in the 1970′s. They are made with butter, not shortening, and even though they contain more oats then this recipe, the oatmeal flavor isn't overwhelming (which is a problem I have with most oatmeal cookies). These are definitely worth a try if you love chocolate chip cookies
Cookhacker
over 1 year ago Creative Culinary
One of my all time favorite recipes has been an oatmeal type cookie with chocolate chips but I'm thinking I need to try chopping some chocolate. I like the idea of melted shards1
over 1 year ago beckyleeprice
For a terrific variation skip the nuts in favor of chopped dried cherries. Wonderful.
over 1 year ago mscheevel
We obviously think alike: I made this exact change today. It's wonderful.
over 1 year ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Hey all -- I made a mistake when I added the recipe to the site. It should be 1 cup oats, not 3 cups. Apologies to anyone who made the recipe and had a problem.
over 1 year ago Chef Maya
I used 3 cups and they came out okay :)
over 1 year ago Susan Chang
Will you be updating it on the website?
over 1 year ago amanda
Amanda is a co-founder of Food52.
Susan, I did -- see above, it's fixed!
over 1 year ago Sherry Page
Hi - I made these cookies but substituted European-style butter for the shortening. They turned out GREAT! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
over 1 year ago eatingandediting
Shortening can do wonders for a cookie. I don't like gingersnaps, but my grandmother altered her ginger cookie recipe by subbing vegetable shortening for half of the butter. (In those cookies, if you go all shortening, they're *too* bendy and shapeless). Half shortening and half butter makes a perfect, soft ginger cookie.
over 1 year ago Bevi
My grandmother used shortening in all her baking. This was in the 50's and 60's that I remember baking with her.
over 1 year ago BlueKaleRoad
I couldn't agree more, chocolate and oats belong together. Ok, twist my arm, I'll make them! :)
over 1 year ago Niknud
So I lost a bet and am required to make cookies (oh the humanity!) in satisfaction of my debt....I have found my cookie recipe!
over 1 year ago ChefJune
It's a rough job, Niknud, but someone's GOT to do it, and I can't imagine a more fun bet to lose than to have to bake cookies! These sound like a winner.
over 1 year ago Nina Page
Is there a reason you've chosen shortening over butter? (When it comes to cookies... never too buttery)
over 1 year ago Rivka
My question exactly - why shortening over butter?
over 1 year ago drbabs
Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Mine, too...love the recipe...can't really get my mind around shortening.
over 1 year ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
When I was a kid in the 70s my mom rarely used butter. Shortening and margarine were thought to be healthier back then, and I think butter was pretty expensive. Since this one originates in the 60s, I'm guessing that's the reason for the shortening.
over 1 year ago AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Not sure of Amanda's reasoning, but I like to use a bit of shortening in many of the cookies I bake because it improves their texture. The oatmeal cookie recipe used as the basis for this one is very similar (in fact, it seems to be identical) to the one I grew up using, with only shortening and no butter. They're great cookies!! I stopped using shortening when Crisco was the only choice and the health issues became better known. Now that I can get Spectrum non-hydrogenated shortening (Whole Foods has it), I've welcomed shortening, with open arms, back into my kitchen. ;o)
over 1 year ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
These look delicious. I bet a sprinkle of fleur de sel would be great on them.
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Oh yes!!
over 1 year ago BlueKaleRoad
Love it, hla!
over 1 year ago sdebrango
Suzanne is a trusted source on General Cooking.
Wow do these look good. Love this! Will make these this weekend!