Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

Specifically, Sarah requested that I make her an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe that I made her the first time we met, but with one major change: instead of raisins, Sarah wanted chocolate chips.  The result? A cookie that couldn’t get any better–a melt in your mouth chocolatey, nutty, oaty experience that seems more like a meal than a delicious snack.  Make this recipe with the original raisins it calls for, OR with chocolate chips.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
As always, this recipe pays tribute to the one and only Foodblogtress, Elise Bauer at Simply Recipes.  For her original version of this recipe, please see here.  I’ve adjusted some of her measurements and switched out the raisins for chocolate chips, but otherwise, this cookie is pretty much the same as the one she has listed from her grandmother.

Ingredients:
* 2 sticks butter, softened
* 1 cup brown sugar, packed
* 1 cup regular sugar
* 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
* 3 cups rolled oats (not the instant kind)
* 1 1/2 cup raisins, OR chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup pecans, or walnuts (optional)
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 large eggs, beaten

1.) Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease cookie sheet(s) with butter and set aside.

2.) In a standing mixer, combine butter (cut into 1 inch cubes and softened) and sugars.  Beat until fluffy.

3.) Add eggs one at a time.

4.) Add vanilla and almond extract, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix to combine.

5.) Measure 3 cups rolled oats and add them to the batter slowly.

6.) Add 1 1/2 cups flour.  Mix to integrate; scrape down sides to fully combine.

7.) Add 1 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips.

8.) Add 1/2 cup pecans, or walnuts and mix to fully integrate.  Scrape down sides for any leftover dry ingredients and mix one last time.  Remove mixing paddle and bowl from mixer.

9.) Now, begin to dish out your cookies.  The best technique when making cookies of any kind is to use an ice cream scoop as your dough dispenser.  So, scoop out cookie dough evenly and in perfectly spaced dough balls the same way you would ice cream.

10.) Bake in 350F oven for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.  (NOTE: a key tip when making this recipe is that at about 10 minutes, the cookies will be thoroughly cooked, but decently chewy.  Any longer will increase the crispiness of the cookie and run the risk of burning.  Thus, if you prefer crispier cookies, then by all means add a minute or two to the cooking time, but no longer!)

11.) Try not to eat them before transferring them to the plate!

12.) Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool.  Makes about 3 batches at 12 cookies each (36 cookies).  Enjoy!