Do you ever feel like you get a little behind on life? Like it takes weeks for you to get some minute task done. Or you have been meaning to stop by an old spot, but didn't get it done for a year. Or maybe you have been dragging your feet about really sitting down and spending the time to think through what it is that you really want. Don't get me wrong, sometimes we all need a break and to just escape, but I keep having to remind myself of a quote I read from Lincoln a few years ago...
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
-Abraham Lincoln
-Abraham Lincoln
Sometimes we have to just get stuff done, cross if off the list, and make those hard decisions...I think I am just giving myself a pep talk here...to first actually get stuff done this weekend and second to figure out what's next in life and how to best prepare for the future. Right now I know the best way for me to plan, that doesn't require me to make a hard decision right this minute, is to keep baking. When the time is right, everything else will fall into place. So, in the mean time I will just keep trying to figure out different ways to get oats into recipes, chocolate into new cookie creations, and spread the love through baking.
It only took me a year, but I finally made it back out to my grandmother's old house. Sometime in the future this barn will be torn down, along with her house, so I just had to visit one more time.
Oh yeah...let's talk about these cookies...I mean this is a baking blog. They are chewy, chocolate chip cookies with toasty oats and coconut. I almost drizzled salted caramel sauce on top of them, but thought they would just stick together since I was taking them to a pool party. The are a delicious twist for a cookie and between the toasted coconut and oats there is a deep nutty flavor without the presence of actual nuts. I will definitely be making these again! Enjoy!
Butter and sugar creamed and then dry ingredients added. Now time for the "filling."
Toasted and chopped oats folded in...
then chocolate chips and coconut.
Into the oven and these are going to come out nice and chewy.
Toasted Oat and Coconut, Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies:
1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. In a non-stick saute pan, toast 1 1/2 cups uncooked oats on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until they start to smell nutty and brown just a little. Once the oats of cooled slightly, plus them in a food processor until they are slightly broken down. (If you do not have a food processor, leave the oats whole.)
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a toaster oven or in the oven while it is pre-heating place the coconut on a baking sheet with a rim and toast until golden brown. If doing this in the toaster oven, you can speed up the process and toast it at 400 degrees F.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
5. In two additions, whisk the flour mixture into the butter sugar mixture until fully incorporated. Then fold in the oats until well combined; then the coconut and chocolate chips.
6. Place tablespoons of dough on the prepared cookies sheet approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until just set in the middle. It is okay if them appear soft in the middle, they will continue cooking while they are cooling. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes then, move to a cooling rack. If you want to jazz these up a bit, drizzle caramel sauce on top. Serve and enjoy!
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