Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

March 26, 2023

These excellent cookies come from King Arthur’s Test Kitchen and were crowned the winner of their 2015 recipe of the year. They described the cookies as being “soft and chewy packed with chips.” Though I won’t turn down a soft and chewy homemade cookie, a crispy cookie is my favorite. It was the “packed with chips” that convinced me to try this recipe. I’m not sure why my cookies turned out crispy but I was thrilled with the outcome. They are crispy throughout (not just the edges) and not too thick or too thin. With that said, they are my new favorite cookie.

The original recipe calls for a small amount of oats. I tested a few batches using old fashioned rolled oats and quick cooking oats and found that the latter produced a chocolate chip cookie in which the oatmeal was barely detectable. If you prefer the oatmeal to be more pronounced, use old fashioned oats.

There is no shortage of chocolate chips in this recipe. That’s what makes these cookies so good.

A quick chill in the refrigerator or freezer helps to firm up the dough which makes it much easier to portion out.

Allow the cookies to set on the sheet pan for a few minutes once they are out of the oven before transferring to a cooling rack. Once cooled, wrap and give some to your family and neighbors. I keep a few stashed in the freezer for an after dinner snack, sometimes eating them before they have time to defrost.

Crispy throughout with lots of chocolate = the perfect cookie.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

Adapted from King Arthur Baking Company

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (113g) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for lactose free cookies, or unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (107g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (120g) unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
1/2 cup (45g) quick cooking or old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (scant if using Earth Balance Buttery Sticks) kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (255g) semisweet or dark chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add to the butter mixture. Mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and mix briefly. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up or place in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.
For medium sized cookies, scoop 1 heaping tablespoon onto cookie sheet (12 balls fit nicely on a cookie sheet allowing for some spreading as cookies bakes).
Bake cookies for 13-16 minutes, until they are light golden brown, with slightly darker edges.
Remove the cookies from the oven, let cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes or until they are set enough to handle. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Continue baking with the remaining dough alternating with cooled cookie sheets.

Notes

Cookies may be frozen for a few months.

Cookies, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Furikake Animal Crackers

April 26, 2021

My friend Michelle’s mom, Tomoe, always has a treat for me when I stop by to deliver produce from our garden. Like me, she is always busy making goodies to give away. Pickled mango, takuan, and mango bread are just a few of the delightful treats she makes. On a recent visit, Tomoe gave me a container of furikake animal crackers. I shared them with my co-workers and they all raved about how tasty they were. So here’s another recipe from Tomoe, who by the way is in her 90’s and still having fun in the kitchen.

The original recipe calls for 2 pounds of animal crackers (Target sells giant tubs in the cookie aisle). I cut the recipe in half and used 1 pound of crackers and made my own version (lactose free).

There are many variations of furikake available. For this recipe, it’s best to use one that has simple ingredients such as sesame seeds and nori (seaweed).

These couldn’t be simpler to make. Prepare the sauce, mix it up with the crackers, sprinkle with furikake, toss and bake.

These crackers bake low and slow for about an hour. You will need to toss them every 15 minutes to ensure they crisp up evenly. I found that after the 1 hour baking time was up, some of the animal crackers were stuck together. Just split them apart with a thin spatula before you set them aside to cool.

Nicely glazed with bits of sesame seeds and nori on each cookie, these are a tasty treat.

Furikake Animal Crackers

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Adapted from Tomoe's recipe

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 1 pound

Ingredients

1 pound animal crackers
⅓ cup furikake
½ stick (2 ounces) vegan Buttery Sticks (or regular butter)
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons canola oil

Preparation

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a rimmed half sheet pan (jelly roll pan) with heavy duty foil.
Pile animal crackers on the foil lined baking sheet. Set aside.
Melt Buttery Stick in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add corn syrup and oil. Whisk to combine. Pour syrup over animal crackers. Using disposable gloves, toss crackers with syrup until evenly coated. Sprinkle furikake over crackers and toss again. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes so the crackers bake evenly. Remove pan from oven to cool. If you notice any crackers stuck to one another, split them before they cool completely. The syrup will harden as the crackers cool. Store crackers in tightly sealed containers. I keep mine in the refrigerator.

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies

October 18, 2020

These flourless cookies are decadently rich with pockets of melted chocolate tucked beneath their crinkly tops. They are light, with crisp edges and chewy, chocolatey centers. They are pure delight for anyone who enjoys a chocolate treat occasionally (or frequently).

With just 7 ingredients these cookies are easily made in 30 minutes. Two types of chocolate and toasted pecans pair up beautifully.

Egg whites and powdered sugar are what brings the batter together, giving these cookies a wonderful texture. Stash some in the freezer for an anytime chocolate fix.

Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Pecan Cookies

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Adapted from Southern Living

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 24

Ingredients

3 cups (360g) powdered sugar
⅔ cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large (90g) egg whites, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (4-oz.) semisweet chocolate bar, chopped
¾ cup (90g) toasted chopped pecans

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk egg whites until frothy (hand mixer works great). Stir egg whites and vanilla into powdered sugar mixture. The batter will be very thick. Stir in chopped chocolate and pecans until well combined.
Drop cookies 3-inches apart using a 1½-inch cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) on a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly greased (otherwise they will stick) with cooking spray.
Bake until tops are shiny and cracked, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Levain Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

July 29, 2019

The perfect chocolate cookie probably doesn’t exist. There are so m any different styles, so why limit yourself to just one? Thin and crispy cookies are one of my favorites, but these thick, chewy cookies packed with chocolate chips are truly delectable. I’ve made them numerous times and always have some stashed in the freezer for that moment when I crave a quick dessert. I adapted the recipe from Melissa at Modern Honey. Melissa makes 8 big cookies like the ones they sell at Levain Bakery in Manhattan. I divided the dough into 12 portions and I can barely finish one of these cookies by myself.

The cookie dough has more than a pound of chocolate chips and nuts combined which makes these cookies particularly delicious.

What’s so cool about these cookies is that there are no specialty ingredients needed and you can make these on the fly because you use cold butter and not butter that needs to sit out for an hour to soften. I do like to use the larger baking chips although regular sized chips will work just fine. I suggest using heaping (rather than level) cups of chocolate chips so that each bite delivers that chocolate experience you would expect in a really good chocolate chip cookie.

The cookie tops are golden brown when done. They smell divine when they come out of the oven. Do your best to resist eating them until they cool down a bit for the perfect cookie texture.

Levain Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 12

Ingredients

1 cup cold Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or regular butter) cut into small cubes
1 cup (145g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ (99g) cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1½ cups (160g) cake flour
1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon (scant) salt or ¾ teaspoons if using unsalted butter
2 heaping cups (368g) chocolate chips
2 cups (215g) walnuts, roughly chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
With a hand held mixer or stand mixer, cream together the cold butter cubes with the brown and white sugar for about 3 minutes until creamy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Stir in cake and all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Lightly form 12 balls and place 6 on each cookie sheet. Each one should weigh about 4⅛ ounces.
Bake one pan at a time for about 9 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes to firm up before transferring to a cooling rack. Repeat with the second batch of cookies.

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies

July 3, 2017

I was intrigued by this chocolate chip cookie recipe after David Lebowitz raved about it on his blog. A chocolate chip cookie made with tahini? This was a recipe I needed to try for myself. I love tahini and have often used it in savory recipes such as hummus or dressing. After doing a bit of research I found that it is not uncommon to use it in desserts as well. These cookies are the best of both worlds. They are delightfully rich with just a hint of tahini and lots of chocolate in every bite. The fleur de sel is the “icing on the cake.”

David recommends using chocolate chunks. I bought chocolate bars and chopped them into pieces larger than regular chocolate chips which are fairly small and tend to get lost in a cookie. David’s recommendation was spot on. Who wouldn’t want more chocolate in every bite?!

I used a cookie scoop but you can certainly use a tablespoon and form the cookies with your hands.

Salted Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies

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Adapted from David Lebovitz's recipe

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks at room temperature
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon tahini, well stirred
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Flaky sea salt such as fleur de sel or Maldon

Preparation

Beat the Buttery Stick, tahini, granulated sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for 2 - 3 minutes, until fluffy. (The dough can also be made in a large mixing bowl stirred wth a spatula).
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Continue to mix for another minute, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Be sure the eggs are well incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Cover and refrigerate the dough until well chilled, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Form the cookies into rounds using a medium sized (#40) cookie scoop. Place them evenly spaced on the baking sheets, about 3 inches apart (they spread a lot). Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack of the oven rotating the pan from front to back midway during baking. Bake cookies for about 14 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and sprinkle with a bit of fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Continue to bake the remaining cookies.

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 4, 2017

My late aunty Ruby was an outstanding cook and baker. Both she and my mom who were sisters, had a passion for cooking which meant the rest of the family shared many enjoyable meals together. We were always thrilled to be invited to aunty Ruby’s home for dinner, knowing that something good was going on in her kitchen. Luckily, I have aunty Ruby’s somen salad recipe, one of my all time favorite meals. But I regret that I never did not ask for her chocolate chip cookie recipe. This recipe comes from Canal House Cooks Every Day. The cookies are ultra thin, crisp, and full of chocolate chips, just the way I remember aunty Ruby’s cookies were.

As you may notice below, there’s no shortage of chocolate chips in these cookies.

The cookie batter is very soft and light. Be sure to leave lots of space (4 inches) between each cookie when baking them so they don’t fuse together. Dairy products don’t seem to agree with me anymore so I substituted Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of butter. This makes the cookies lactose free for those of you with the same unfortunate problem. I cut the recipe in half but feel free to double the recipe below which will make about 4 dozen delightful cookies.

Thin & Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

5 ounces Buttery Sticks at room temperature (or regular butter)
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (149g) light brown sugar
6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg
¾ c + 3 tablespoons (133g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl. Mix on medium speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute.
Whisk the flour and baking soda together, then add to the dough, continuing to mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Using a spatula, quickly mix the dough, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Drop the batter by the well-rounded tablespoon, about 4 inches apart. Don't be tempted to leave less space between the batter, the cookies spread a lot!
Bake until golden brown, about 9 - 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Lactose Free Cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies