Thick and Soft Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a bit of an improvisation due to low supplies. Though we had a wide assortment of chocolate chips (semi sweet, dark, milk, butterscotch, etc) it wasn't a deep supply. I dumped out the bags that were there, open and nearly empty from teenage hands dipping in for a quick chocolate hit, and got about a cup. I was also short on flour. Enter oatmeal. Butter? Check. Eggs? Check. Walnuts? Enough. Good to go.

I like a thick cookie that's soft on the inside and crisp on the outside and I've read some recipes out there that call for a little corn starch to achieve this, so I tried it. I wish I knew what that does to the dough but I can say it seems to keep these little buggers from spreading out when they hit the heat of the oven (which makes them thin - and thin is not what I want). Keeping the butter chilled helps too. I think it keeps small slivers of butter intact after mixing allowing them to release a little puff steam during baking making the cookies light instead of dense, even though they're thick. At least that's my theory. To be able to discuss this with more certainty would require research and there's no time for that since my kids are in need of attention and rides with school being cancelled due to cold (this on top of a 2 week break). And we just heard it's cancelled tomorrow too. So we're going to need these cookies.

Thick and Soft Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen

Note: This dough freezes really well. Shape into balls and freeze on a sheet pan, then put in a plastic bag in freezer for up to a month or so. When ready to use, no need to defrost. Just pop on a cookie sheet and bake per instructions.

1 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup oatmeal (not quick cooking)
1 cup chocolate chips (dark, semi sweet and butterscotch or any combination you like)
1 cup chopped walnuts

1.  Beat butter and sugars with an electric mixer until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended.

2. Sift in dry ingredients and mix with mixer until blended (will be thick).

3. Stir in oatmeal, nuts and chocolate chips. Dough will be stiff.

4. Scoop up golf ball size spoonfuls of dough and roll gently between palms. Put on parchment lined sheet pans and chill for one hour. If you can't fit pans in your refrigerator you can chill the dough in the bowl before scooping. Preheat oven to 375º and bake for approximately 15-18 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks — they'll set up as they cool..