Laura B's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

[MrsReber]

Well, Laura, it's been a while since I asked you for this recipe. Finally got around to trying them last week! My husband loves these cookies. I tried making them small and then made them bigger since I knew I'd end up with too many cookies (is that possible?)With the bigger ones, I rolled the dough into a ball and then flattened it out a bit. The batter was very thick, so I used my hands to mix the dough up.

I thought they were really good. Not overly sweet and I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. We still have some left, too. I was wondering if you ever tried to add nuts to them at all? I love nuts in cookies. I also love coconut in cookies. I was never a fan of raisins in oatmeal cookies, so these were just perfect.

My husband brought a few over to his hunting buddy while they were out in the woods looking for a deer. I have to laugh when I picture these two guys dressed in camo eating cookies in the woods. Anyway, my husband's friend really liked them, too. Thanks so much for posting. They're probably the best oatmeal cookies I've ever made.


Here's the recipe from Laura, in case anyone else wants to try them.

Mom's Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 60 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies Desserts


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup shortening
2 large eggs
2 cups coconut
2 cups oatmeal
1 bag chocolate chips
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine ingredients in order listed.

Shape dough into balls and place on cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Description:
"These are the cookies Mom always makes at Christmas."
Source:
"Mom"
Yield:
"5 dozen"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 107 Calories (kcal); 6g Total Fat; (46% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 6mg Cholesterol; 43mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Depending on how much batter per ball you use and how tightly you pack it, you can make small crispy cookies or larger soft ones. I prefer the larger soft ones.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 08-15-2000).]

[Laura B]

Wow! I am so glad that you made the cookies and that you liked them! I have never added nuts, but I bet that you could add some without making any other adjustments.

Before I got my KitchenAid, I mixed with my hands because that dough is very stiff indeed. Since I got my mixer, though, I use that and it workd very well - my batter turns out smoother and affects the finished texture a bit.

The way you described shaping them is pretty much the way I do it, too. The bigger you make them, the softer and chewier they get. My mom makes them and she does them more as small drop cookies and they get more brown and crispy than mine.

Last christmas, my mom had so much baking to do that she asked me to make these to bring home for the holidays. Well, before I got there, my brother got impatient for them and mom went ahead and made a batch. When I got home and put mine beside hers, it was amazing how the cookies could be so different from the same recipe! And mine got eaten first! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Oh, I usually use milk chocolate chips. Don't know how much difference that makes in the finished product. I really love them though!

One thing that I have done with these, which was pretty darn time-consuming, was to mold them with cookie cutters. For Valentine's Day, I used a heart cutter and put it on the cookie sheet and mashed it full of dough, then lifted away the cutter. And, since you have seen the amount of dough this makes, you know that it took forever! But they looked really pretty. I wouldn't try an elaborate shape, but hearts and stars, etc. work well if you are patient enough to try it!


[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 11-15-2000).]

[BarbaraL]

Thanks, Laura for supplying the recipe and thanks, Mrs. Reber, for passing it on with the feedback. The nieces and nephew (along with parents) are coming next week; maybe I'll whip some up to have on hand for the rest of the weekend that isn't "Turkey day." Happy Thanksgiving!

[mommywannabe]

OK, I've got to get the recipe and make them for my hubby...could you post it again (I'm pretty new, so I must've missed it). Thanx http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Laura B]

mommywannabe - the recipe is at the top of this post. MrsReber posted it!

[Laura B]

I use Crisco. I really like to use the sticks because they are less messy and have markings on the side to make it simple to measure.



[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 11-16-2000).]

[MrsReber]

At my husband's insistence, I only use real butter. I never tried crisco, though- well, except for home ec in high school. They wouldn't spring for real butter.

[mommywannabe]

LauraB...thanx http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif The difference between the subject line and the name of the recipe threw me http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Laura B]

mommywannabe - you're welcome! I didn't really catch the difference until you said it. I guess that was kind of confusing. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

MrsReber - Did your cookies spread a lot when you baked them with the butter instead of the sugar? Just curious. I read somewhere recently that using shortening helps prevent spread, while butter will spread more. I guess with this batter being so thick, they would not spread much either way. But it apparently makes a difference with thinner batters, like chocolate chip cookies (which have been my obsession lately).

[This message has been edited by Laura B (edited 11-16-2000).]

[cas]

Just wondering what does everyone use for shortening? I hate crisco and am curious if that is what everyone uses?

[MrsReber]

Laura, the cookies didn't spread at all. That's why I started to smush them down a bit after the first few were done. First I thought maybe I made them too small, so I made them bigger and they still didn't spread out. Very thick batter, indeed! I must've gotten over 70 cookies out of it. I stopped counting after the first 60 and started making them even bigger. I was getting tired! But they are still delicious and I think they'll finally be gone by the end of the weekend. I do want to try them with some pecans or walnuts, but I will probably cut the recipe in half next time and make them for Christmas.