Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Full disclosure: I'm no super-cook/baker lady. Also, I'm not even remotely trying to be healthy. 

    I wanted some chocolate chip cookies. I'm terrible at making cookies most of the time. No idea why. I can whip out brownies or a cake without any trouble but my cookies either burn or they are obnoxiously crunchy. I went on pinterest looking for a recipe to try out and found this from What a Girl Eats. The original recipe can be found by clicking that link. I doubled it and replaced some of the shortening with brown sugar. I also didn't add any walnuts since I just used up my last bag on brownies but next time hopefully I will.

These cookies are very good! I took heed of the note at the bottom of that blog and tweaked the recipe in hopes of getting the cookies to be just right (slightly crunchy and chewy but not too flat or crispy). They are messy to make but simple enough. Here's my version of the recipe (this is doubled so it makes A LOT):

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:
3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

4 eggs
2 cups brown sugar (unpacked)
1.5 cups white sugar
1.5 cups shortening
2 tsp vanilla extract
1tsp hot water

~9oz of chocolate chips
4 cups of rolled or quick oats

     Directions: Add the flour, salt, and baking soda together in one bowl and whisk/fork/spin/stir/sift it together. Put the eggs, sugar, shortening, and vanilla in another bowl and whip it up but BE CAREFUL not to go to crazy or you'll break it down too much. Add the hot water to the liquidy bowl of stuff (no idea why but the original recipe called for it so I went ahead) then combine the two mixtures. I started out trying to whisk it all together. Don't ask me why I didn't get my electric mixer out. . . no idea. I digress. Just stick your hands in. It's very, very sticky at this stage but AVOID the urge to flour it up. Get it together pretty well, rinse your hands, and then toss in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Stick your hands back in and get it all combined. The consistency should still be slightly sticky but easy to roll into balls (think play dough).

      Lay out parchment paper in whatever pan (I used a cake pan because I didn't feel like cleaning the other one, no big deal) and spread 1-1.5 inch balls so they don't seem to close or to far (I guess). I was able to fit 12 dough balls in a standard 9x13 cake pan. Sometimes they'd roll a bit and bake together but I didn't really care that much. Bake 10ish minutes around 350 in your oven. Our oven is a butthead so I tend to put it a little lower and cook things for shorter periods than most recipes call for. I also don't preheat it. The original recipe says 375 for 10-14 minutes. Use your own good judgement.

  Like I said before, this recipe is ALL READY doubled so it makes a LOT. I made 4 batches I think (so 48 cookies) and still have a bag full of dough balls in the freezer!

  If you like crunchy, slightly chewy, dripping with chocolate, perfect-for-milk-dunking, oatmeal-laden cookies then this should make you happy! I won't use butter for oatmeal cookies ever again that's for sure. Fill your favorite cup or mug with some milk and enjoy!

Edit:

      I had to come back and add this. After making a batch with the frozen dough balls I HAVE to recommend that if you can contain your cookie monster for just a night it is sooo worth it. They are even BETTER after sitting in the freezer for a while. They are slightly softer and chewier than when they are cooked fresh!! Don't thaw at all. Just pop them on the parchment paper or pan and cook them same (they may take a smidgen longer). So good!!!