Rustic Chocolate Chip Cookies

The ultimate chocolate chip cookie is an ideal every baker aspires to achieve. The challenge is that we each have a different, and sometimes contradictory, concept of what makes the perfect one. Crispy but chewy. Crunchy but soft. Add to that the vastly different preferences of family and friends, and you can see why you might want to master a few recipes based on who’s going to be indulging in your cookie stash.

When I created this recipe, I wanted a cookie that gave a satisfying crunch and deep color at the edges, but with a buttery, softer middle. The resulting version is just that – crunchy and crispy right where it needs to be, with a rustic quality that comes from the use of pulsed oats, which also impart a toasty flavor.

Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¾ cup old fashioned oats (these will be pulsed)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces of your favorite chocolate baking bar (I recommend using 2 ounces of bittersweet and 2 ounces of milk chocolate), cut into chunks and shards

Yields 2 dozen cookies

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Pulse the oats in a food processor until they resemble coarse flour. Some oats should be completely ground while others should remain a little larger, but with no whole pieces remaining. Combine with the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Cream the softened butter with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture in a few additions until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks and shards.

For each cookie gently shape two tablespoons (not rounded) of cookie dough into a ball. The dough will be slightly sticky and should have craggy little peaks.

Bake in batches on parchment-lined baking sheet on middle rack of oven for about 9 minutes, or until the edges are browned and rippled, but the middle is soft and not completely set. They will continue baking on the tray when removed from the oven, and the middles will de-puff. Use a cookie spatula to remove from tray after about a minute, when they are stiff enough to do so.

Let cool and enjoy.