Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

If you have a mixer you have been ignoring lately, this is a beautiful time to give it some exercise. Cream together the butter and sugars for 3 minutes (the time is VERY important!). Add in the vanilla extract and 2 eggs and mix again for at least 2 minutes until everything is creamy and light. Now you can add the salt, baking soda, and flour. I added the flour 1 cup at a time and mixed it in completely before adding the next cup. I think this mainly helped to not have flour “poof” out at me, but you never know.

Once combined, toss in the oats and feel free to use the mixer still at this point. Once the oats are incorporated add in the chocolate chips but do not do this with your mixer. Mix/fold these in with those muscles God gave you.

Now, here is the weird part… I’m sure you could bake these now and they’d be wonderful. However, I ran out of time and put the dough into a Tupperware container and stored it in my fridge. When I returned to the dough (24 or so hours later) the dough seemed very dry, and I was nervous. But, all this means is you need to give the dough a little extra love when you move to this next step.

Spoon out about a heaping tablespoon or so of the dough and roll/mash it together into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and then bake them in that happy 375F oven for 8 – 10 minutes. (Mine turned out perfectly at 9 minutes, but each oven has a mind of its own.) When you pull them out of the oven they’ll be slightly browned on top, but part of them will look like you should let them bake a little longer. DON’T. They are beautiful, just the way they are.

Place the cookies onto a cookie rack to cool and then share with whomever you find fit! But trust me, indulge yourself – let a cookie or two cool for a couple minutes and then enjoy it while it’s still warm.

HAPPY BAKING!