Two Ways with Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sunday afternoon it was really hot. Too hot to do anything - or so I thought. We didn't really want to go for a walk - we just wanted to stay inside and try and keep cool. We only have ceiling fans so we do our best. I try not to do too much on Sundays because after church we are usually pretty pooped. I just want to sleep. The kids just want to play. I didn't want the TV on this time though - I just wanted it to be a quiet day. A pregnancy thing I guess. I got my way... I did that by baking cookies together with Kailea. This time I actually let her help - beginning to end - yep, I even made her help clean up. She didn't want to but I said, if you don't help dry dishes - no cookies for you. So she helped really well after that. She likes measuring ingredients and turning the food mixer on and off. She liked getting her hands dirty in the dough - rolling them into balls. I caught her licking her fingers one too many times and said - ok - you're all done helping.

I'm glad we did something like this together. Usually I just bake when she's in school or when Ella is napping. It's kind of tough to have them both in the kitchen but I thought I had better start letting her help. Sunday afternoon is a good time for that - because I have lots of time then :) Maybe we can make this a Sunday afternoon tradition - baking with Mommy! Yes, I like that idea.

I got this recipe from a friend. It's a different variation on the classic chocolate chip cookie. It actually reminds me of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookies that my brother bakes - even though the oats are ground very fine - still tastes like them. I really liked this cookie a lot. I made a few variations to the original recipe which I found here.

I added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon - because cinnamon makes everything taste better. And in place of the chocolate bar which you are supposed to grind or whizz with your food processor - I used a combination of milk chocolate and white chocolate bars. And then when you add the chocolate chips at the end - again I used a combination of dark chocolate chips, white chocolate bar - finely chopped, and vanilla fudge - finely chopped. The vanilla fudge I used tastes a lot like penuche - delicious. Made the cookies all the better.

This recipe made 24 big cookies for us. They flatten out real nice - crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. The first day we had them warm and fresh from the oven with ice cold milk. The second day I served them with vanilla ice cream sandwiched in between. These cookies are perfect for that because they flatten out to a nice round shape. If only we had chocolate ice cream... oh well... maybe next time :)

So here is the recipe I used with our variations:

American Chocolate Chip Cookies

100g oats
125g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon each baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon
50g white chocolate bar (or combination of white and milk chocolate)
100g butter at room temperature
100g soft dark brown sugar
100g white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla aroma
115g chocolate pieces (combination of milk, dark and white chocolate, and vanilla fudge)

Measure oats into a food processor or liquidiser. Whiz to a fine powder. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon then whizz to mix. Add grated chocolate (or throw the bar in and whiz again). Pour the dry ingredients into a bowl, while you cream the butter with both sugars. Beat the egg and vanilla together in a cup, and then beat into the creamed butter mixture. Then add chocolate chips, and dry ingredients, mix well. Roll into balls the size of ping-pong balls and place them 5cm apart on a baking tray. Cover the tray with non-stick baking paper, if you have that sort of tray.


Bake for about ten minutes. They should have a golden colour, but still look a little underdone (this is what makes the lovely chewy soft texture). If you like them crisp, keep them in a bit longer. But they won't be as good. Trust me, take them out sooner rather than later. Eat them while still warm with cold milk. Or let cool completely and spread vanilla or chocolate ice cream sandwiched between :) yum. Makes 24 large.