My daughter has just told me that she does not like nuts in her cookies.
My head whips around, my eyes wide and disbelieving. What?? For one horrible split second I imagine endless days and months and years stretched before me, a long lifetime without nuts in my baked goods. I remember the melancholy of having to bake nut-free for my brother, who didn’t like them either. I remember the bliss of getting married, moving out, and realizing I could now bake everything stuffed to the gills with nuts, as much as my nut-loving heart wanted. My freezer is home to at least three different kinds of nuts at a time. At least.
How could my own flesh and blood not like nuts in her chocolate chip cookies. How??
And what is she talking about? She actually eats nuts. Walnuts specifically (my favorite kind as well).
“But you eat nuts!”, I wail pathetically. She gives me an exasperated look. “Yes, but I eat nuts alone. I eat chocolate alone. Not together.”
My eyes narrow. What kind of nit-picking is this? Is little diva this for real? I don’t think my eyebrow could reach the heights that statement warranted.
And so the final word (for now at least): “Little C, mama likes nuts in her cookies. We need the nuts to balance the sweetness of the chocolate and of the cookie itself. We are making cookies with nuts.”
And besides, these cookies here? They are ultimately more awesome with nuts (walnuts specifically – my favorite). Trust me, mama knows best.
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned whole rolled oats
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- A pinch of salt, optional and to taste
- 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
– In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment combine the egg, butter, sugars, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
– Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute or less.
– Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and then add the chocolate chips and the nuts. Beat on low for about 30 seconds, just to incorporate everything evenly. Do not over-mix.
– Using a tablespoon (Averie uses a 1/4 cup measure but I like my cookies smaller), scoop a heaping amount of dough into your hand and roll into a ball. I like Averie’s tip of strategically placing a few chocolate chips on the top of the cookies — that way they look nice.
– Place the dough balls in a food safe container (in one layer, so use some kind of tray or plate), cover, and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days (or alternately freeze for up to 4 months). Do not bake unchilled dough as the cookies will spread too thin.
– When you are ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with baking spray, a Silpat, or (my personal favorite) baking parchment. Place the cookie dough on the sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops are just set. They may look a little soft in the middle but that’s fine. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for about 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
I love oatmeal and I love chocolate, so a joining of the two is definitely something that I’m going to try. How happy I am that I did! This cookie is everything that it promises to be: soft, chewy, with a nutty-hearty bite, and the lovely melting chocolate all throughout. In the original recipe there is the option to add raisin or nuts. I suppose you can guess what I added. But in my defense, I think the walnuts are perfect here. They are, as I insisted to my daughter, the perfect counterpoint to the sweet chocolate and the chewy cookie.
As the recipe states, do not over-bake the cookies, as they will firm up as they cool. Averie cools these cookies completely on the pan but I like to keep them for about 5-10 minutes on the pan, and then transfer to a rack. As you can keep this batter for up to 5 days in the fridge I like to make and shape these the day before so on the day I actually need the cookies I simply pop them in the oven and enjoy freshly baked (as we all know that is the optimum way to enjoy cookies).
Despite my daughter’s sudden random idiosyncrasy about not mixing nuts and chocolate (but they’re so good together I tell you!) these were enjoyed very much by both my own mother and my husband…and enjoyed a little bit too much by my gluttonous self.
I have 6 cookie-dough balls of this safely tucked away in the freezer for “emergencies”. Is there a more lofty feeling of smugness than that which you feel when you’ve got cookie dough in the freezer? I have yet to find out.
If you are a mama who’s dealing with strange new food habits, this cookie is for you! This is especially for you if you like nuts like me. Actually, this is for all the mamas out there, whose everydays are filled with strange new things, weird unexplainable occurrences, and also wonderful heart-filling moments. It’s a mystery. It’s instinctual. It’s falling in love everyday. It’s falling asleep in the doctor’s waiting room. It’s messes and it’s miracles. And sometimes, it’s drama about chocolate and nuts that you all sort out somehow, however perfectly imperfect the solution. Wishing all of us a happy Mothers Day!
she knows what she wants! and that's a good thing. i like how she says it. i feel the same way about other things. but yes, chocolates and nuts go together for me too! haha. happy mother's day!!!
Thanks Shalum! Yes, I know in my heart that it is indeed good that she knows what she wants 🙂 I just don’t want to leave out the nuts in my cookies! Hehe 😉
Those oatmeal cookies look delicious. I want to bake some in my kitchen. The kids will surely love it.
Hope you all like them! 🙂
You’re not alone. My middle son also dislikes nuts. I had to have separate cookie dough for him. He likes to eat one dish at a time too because he said he doesnt like flavors mixing up. But he’s grown to be a bit of connoissuer when it comes to coffee, tea, and beer.
Hi Corrine! I guess we all have our own food quirks and we just have to accept them and learn how to work around them in order to live happily ever after! 🙂