Monday, April 18, 2011

Chunks and Chips Oatmeal Coconut Cookies


Yes, I do love chocolate.  Dark chocolate is my favorite and I prefer bittersweet.  I am always happy to substitute more chocolate when a cookie recipe calls for nuts.  As you may know, I have a little girl with allergies to certain tree nuts so why not substitute chocolate chips or chunks in place of the nuts!  Yahoo!!!

These cookies are rich, I must admit, but so very delicious!  The combination of bittersweet chocolate chips, semisweet chocolate chunks, oats, and unsweetened coconut is a winner in my book.  I hope you try it!

Chunks and Chips Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
adapted from Gourmet, August 1991

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups packaged finely shredded unsweetened coconut
12 bittersweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
4 oz good quality semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks (I used Callebaut but Scharffenberger would be great, too.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together butter and sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until just blended, then beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until just blended. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and chocolate chunks.

Arrange mounds of cookie dough (about 2 Tablespoons per mound) about 3 inches apart on baking sheet (about 9 cookies per sheet), then gently pat down each mound to about 1/2 inch thick. Bake in middle of oven, until golden but not completely set (should still be slightly wet looking on top), 10 to 12 minutes total.

Cool cookies on sheets 1 minute, cookies will continue to cook a little while resting on sheet. Transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies in same manner.