Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

May 2nd, 2008

It was rainy and chilly today, and we had no afternoon plans other than a haircut for A. I love having at least one afternoon a week where we are unscheduled, and weather like this pretty much begs for baking cookies. Or wait, maybe it was the boys that were begging…

I didn’t have any chocolate chips in the house, so we searched for a recipe using the cocoa I’d bought for the vegan dark chocolate cupcakes. I really liked the way the cookies turned out — not too sweet (not sweet enough for J. — he thought they needed chocolate chips), simple, and a manageably-sized recipe. The original recipe calls for raisins, which I just left out, but if I made them again I would substitute dried cherries rather than omitting the fruit entirely. That would enhance the sweetness a bit, too.

Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from Cocoa Oatmeal Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

1 c. butter, at room temperature
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. unsweetened dark cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets (I line mine with parchment paper first). Bake 12-15 minutes, until cookies are almost set and are still slightly glossy.

Cool, and store in a tightly covered container or Ziploc bag.

Entry Filed under: Dessert