Ali Bakes: Chocoholic Cookies

A few weeks ago, I was in the mood for baking...and being social...and hosting a shindig.  I planned a cookie exchange, and the rest is history...despite the fact that technically only one person attended my cookie exchange.  (Yay for Allie coming to my party-hosting rescue!)

Ah well, we had a grand old time, and I got to test out a delicious new recipe!  Plus, delicious cooks were shared by not only me, but by Allie and Brian, too, so that was GREAT!  I think I'll even brag for a moment and describe their cookies for you all:

Allie's Grandma Anna's Peanut Butter Cookies:  Shortbread-like in texture and peanut-buttery in flavor.  A delicate crunch and rustic in appearance.  There's a reason the recipe required her to taste test two cookies before she came over for the cookie exchange!  (Because they are SO DELICIOUS!)

Brian's Chocolate-Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies:  Shortbread cookies with surprising pops of peppermint crunches sprinkled throughout each swirl.  Round and dainty--would be perfectly accompanied by a steamy glass of hot chocolate.  (And those cookies took HOURS due to their lengthy 'set' time in the fridge--twice!)

Now...for my cookies, I can only promise you chocolate.  Lots and lots of yummy chocolate.

 

Read on if you love chocolate as much as I do!

Chocoholic Cookies

*adapted from MyAdventuresInTheCountry.com

Ingredients:

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz package)
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbs milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
9 oz (or more) white chocolate chips

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the oats and chocolate chips; set aside.

In another large bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until creamy.  In a

medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa together.  Then slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.  Stir until combined.

The dough is very stiff at this point, so don't worry.  Combine the milk, vanilla, and eggs in a small bowl, stirring slightly.  Slowly add the milk mixture to the dough and mix until thoroughly combined.  Finally, pour in the oats and chocolate chips; stir until well mixed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drop dollops of batter spaced apart on a greased or non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake 9 to 12 minutes or longer, depending on how large your cookies are.  Cool on the pan for one minute, then transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. 

Once the cookies are completely cooled, melt the white chocolate in a glass bowl sitting atop a saucepan of boiling water.

When the chocolate is melted, dip 1/2 to 1/3 of the cookie into the melted chocolate.

Place each dipped cookie on a a glass plate, cooling rack, or wax paper.

Do not store until the white chocolate has hardened completely.

Now:  EAT COOKIES!