Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

{ November 9, 2010 @ 8:38 pm } · { Cookies }
{ Tags: Chocolate }

Thanks to everyone for the tips and the well wishes for my trip! I’ll keep you updated on how the planning is going.

It’s scary how quickly the holidays are creeping upon us, isn’t it?

I’ve already begun looking for presents.

I know.

My top three tips?

1. Online shopping. No lines, no sensory overload, no need to do it during normal business hours (which is key if, say, your working day encompasses ALL normal business hours). One of my new great finds? CSN stores through which I got the apple peeler I featured a few posts ago. They have cookware, contemporary coffee tables, fitness equipment, and so much more. You can find gifts just by browsing around aimlessly!

2. Planning ahead.

3. These cookies. You think I’m kidding? I’m not.

Peanut butter for protein, oatmeal for fiber and it’s supposedly heart healthy, and chocolate for energy! Also, they taste pretty good and will magically put you into a good non-stressful mood. By my official analysis, these are the perfect cookies for holiday season on-the-go-ness. (WordPress is unhappy with the word I just made up. Surprisingly, a red squiggly line is also under “wordpress” as I type this. Ironic that they don’t even approve of their own name.)

They have a wonderful sandy texture and taste rich because of the peanut butter but they’re not heavy. Substituting chopped chocolate for chocolate chips has been a new thing of mine. The chocolate stays gooey for a longer period of time and I like their irregularity in the cookies. I stole the idea from Dorie who never fails me. Definitely good stuff, friends.

Happy cookie making and holiday celebrating!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes 24 cookies (but this is entirely dependent on how large your cookies are).

Ingredients

• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c instant oats
• 4 oz  semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract, 3-5 minutes. Add egg and mix until combined. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture until just combined. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in oats followed by the chopped chocolate.

Drop dough onto prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches around each cookie. Brown Eyed Baker dropped 3 tbsp per cookie and got 16. I used a heaping tbsp per cookie and got 24. It’s be good no matter what! Bake until cookies are lightly golden. They won’t look done and will likely be puffy but take them out based on color. Cool completely on the baking sheet so they finish baking and then eat, eat, EAT!

How do you stay sane for the upcoming holidays?