My Famous Chocolate-Chip Cookies

A few weeks back someone asked me about my "famous chocolate-chip cookies," which I reference in my bio in LADY OUTLAW. I will readily admit I'm not much of a cook, but I CAN make chocolate-chip cookies that'll melt in your mouth and satisfy a chocolate craving. :) These are a staple in our house - and I like to believe they're fairly healthy because I add oatmeal to them, though you can't really taste it.

Because these are my favorite cookies - and I, unfortunately, cannot bake all of you a batch - I'm sharing the recipe here. Enjoy!

Chocolate-Chip Cookies

3 sticks of butter (softened)

1 ¼ cups brown sugar

1 ¼ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups oatmeal (blended to the consistency of flour)

2 ¼ cups white flour

Chocolate chips

Start by mixing the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking soda and salt. Next blend the oatmeal—I do this in our blender—until it’s the consistency of flour. Mix the blended oatmeal and the white flour with everything else.  When the dough clumps together, it’s ready. The key to the right consistency of dough—and therefore to fantastic cookies—is the white flour. If the dough still seems wet or sticky, add another ¼ cup of flour until the dough doesn't stick to your fingers (too little flour=flat cookies; too much flour=clumpier cookies). Add chocolate chips next—I typically put in half a bag.

Form the dough into balls to place on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies are turning golden brown. The cookies won’t necessarily look done, but once they have that slightly golden brown top, pull them out and set them on top of the oven to cool for another few minutes.

This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies—depending on how much dough is snitched prior to baking them. :) Most of them I’ll freeze in Ziploc bags to be enjoyed later. These cookies freeze really well, and when you want one, 15 - 20 seconds in the microwave softens them perfectly.