Mom Law # 34: Make the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, to be exact.

I've never had much luck in the past with baking cookies. They're always either completely undone or burned. Then I learned that once you take them out of the oven, they're still baking. I have now perfected a certain recipe and decide to make it from time to time when Husband has been good. J

Today started off as a gorgeous rainy day. To put this into perspective, I can count the number of times it has rained this summer on one hand. We awoke to the wonderful sound of rain pattering on the roof and whooshing through trees. There was also a strange tapping noise which upon further inspection proved to be rain leaking through an air vent in the roof. Luckily, we caught it quickly and disaster was averted.






After the rain stopped, the air outside was left at a considerably cooler 85 degrees and we settled into a lovely lazy overcast Sunday. I decided that now was the time to make THE COOKIES. (Here is the part where I'm super awesome and share with you the fantastic-ness of this recipe.)





Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

½ cup solid vegetable shortening

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup firmly pressed dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 3.4 oz package of instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp water

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 cup old fashioned oats

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 12 oz package semisweet chocolate chips


 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
   
2. Butter heavy large cooking sheets
   
3. Beat vegetable shortening and unsalted butter in large bowl until light
   
4. Gradually add white and brown sugars and beat until fluffy
   
5. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each
   
6. Add vanilla pudding mix, vanilla extract, baking soda, water, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt
   
7. Mix until well blended
   
8. Mix in oats
   
9. Mix in flour
   
10. Mix in chocolate chips
    
11. Drop by large rounded spoonfuls (3 tbsp each) onto cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart
    
12. Bake until they appear dry and the tops are lightly cracked and soft, about 12 minutes (Keep a close eye on them until you get to know your own oven, as they are done for me at 11 minutes.)
    
13. Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer to racks to cool
    

This recipe makes about 36 cookies, the way I make them. This does not include the dough lost to sneaking Husband hands when I'm looking the other way. I think it's always a safe bet to make way more than you need because invariably, somewhere in the cooling process several cookie comrades will disappear.


Other wonderful things about today include beautiful flowers from Husband



And of course, companions in the kitchen