A Great Chocolate Chip Cookie (That Happens To Be Whole-Grain)

I've been making these cookies for almost 20 years now and people in my extended family just call them "Jami's Cookies." They aren't "my cookies," however. They originated from a cookbook called Savor the Flavor of Oregon by the Junior League of Eugene in 1990 (which is still a great cookbook and is available here). And in the cookbook, they are called "Not Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies" with no explanation given for the title.

I like them because they have a "secret" ingredient: powdered oatmeal which gives them a nice texture and weight without being an oatmeal cookie, not to mention the extra nutrition. I've made it a whole-grain cookie by changing the regular flour to whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour, which didn't change the cookie at all- my family didn't even know I made the change when I did. Sneaky, hun?

And yes, I said "nutrition" and "cookie" in the same sentence. I think there are a lot worse things we routinely put in our bodies than a homemade cookie. I know exactly what's in that cookie, and many of them can be made with whole grains, fruit, and nuts. Granted, this cookie has butter and chocolate, but I know people who will not bat an eye at eating a chocolate chip waffle smothered in butter and syrup for breakfast, but would be aghast at cookies and milk for the same meal. It's all about balance, I think. And I feel it's beneficial to put extra nutrition into all the things we regularly eat.

OK, off the soapbox and on to the recipe.

These are the ingredients you will need: butter, brown and white sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, regular rolled oats, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and chocolate chips.

The recipe calls for grated milk chocolate, too, and if I have it, I use it, but it's strictly optional. This is a good time to use some of the holiday candy Kisses I got super cheap, so I will chop them in the food processor. I love walnuts in these, but my family doesn't love them as much, so I only put them in occasionally.

Start by creaming the butter and sugars in a mixer.

Or by hand, but making cookies with a mixer was a revelation to me when I first was able to. The idea that I could be prepping the other ingredients while the mixer mixed! I swear, I think it cut the time in half - it just didn't seem a big deal to whip out a batch of cookies anymore.

Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix until smooth.

Seems like most cookie recipes, huh? Until now...

This (well, and short baking time which we'll talk about later) is the unusual ingredient in this recipe. Place the oats in a blender and blend until powdered.

It's fun watching the oats change from whole to powdered. It kinda rises from the bottom up.

Yea- it's the little things around here, folks. :-)

Add the powdered oatmeal to the mixer and blend well.

Now I add all the dry ingredients: flour, soda, baking powder, and salt. I think you're supposed to add them slowly, or mix after adding only a little. Of course I don't do that (I never do that with cookies, do you? I mean it's a cookie, we're not trying to make a light and airy cake, here).

I just dump it all into the bowl and give it a little stir together with the teaspoon.

Next, add the chips and chopped milk chocolate, if using. I mix it all together in my mixer - another reason to use a mixer! Even with stiff doughs like this, it does the job well.

OK, I've been asked quite a few times how I get my cookies to all look uniformly round. No trick really, I use a cookie scoop, and line the baking sheet with a dark cooking mat I found. I started with a lighter "Silpat" mat, but found I didn't like the results as well with cookies. The bottoms didn't get as dark as I like in the amount of time I bake them.

I also flatten these cookies a bit because the dough is stiff. When I'm flattening each one I also push any pieces in that are sticking out, giving them a uniform roundness.

Not perfectly round, mind you, just not large parts protruding from the sides...

Bake them at 375 degrees for 8 to 8-1/2 minutes- no more, please!

They will look pale and puffy (like I tried to show in the picture here). The recipe states they will not look done, and they won't, but take them out anyway and let them cool on the sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

As they cool, they will firm up, but remain soft. They are gooey when hot, but are not when cool, so if you haven't made cookies like these before, don't worry- I promise they'll be perfect.

One time I gave the recipe to someone who raved about the cookies. When I asked her if she made them, she said they didn't turn out because her husband made her put them back in the oven because he said they weren't done. These are not good if cooked too long, which she found out, poor thing.

But cooked right, they are, well, just right.

Whole-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-1/2 cups whole oats, powdered in a blender
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
• 12 oz. (1 bag) chocolate chips
• 8 oz. milk chocolate, chopped or grated, optional
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional

1. In the bowl of a mixer (or a large bowl), cream the butter and sugars.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
3. Add the powdered oats and mix well.
4. Add salt, soda, baking powder, and flour and mix. The dough will be fairly stiff.
5. Mix in the remaining ingredients.
6. Place golf-ball sizes of dough on a cookie sheet, greased or lined with a baking mat or parchment and slightly flatten.
7. Bake in a 375 oven for 8 to 8-1/2 minutes. Do not overbake, they will firm up as they cool, but will remain a soft cookie. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Visit The Grocery Cart Challenge for other recipe ideas.