Maylee at Beyond Gumbo 
Every now and them, I’m in the mood for something sweet. How about a chocolete chip cookie? This “sweet and salty” rendition on a classic cookie is just right. My cookie recipe is slightly soft and crunchy, with wonderful chocolate and oatmeal flavors. I added pretzel pieces for a salty kick. It is difficult to stop at eating only one cookie. But, I’m trying. I figure that the oatmeal gives a little more heart-healthy fiber than most other sweet desserts.
There are chocolate chip cookies and then there are “souped-up” chocolate chip cookies. With so many ways to elevate a chocolate chip cookie, why not add in some interesting ingredients. For this recipe, I added in toasted oatmeal and bits of pretzels twists. These add crunch. They add flavor and a bit of salt. And, I wouldn’t substitute another brand of chocolate chips for these Nestle Toll House semi-sweet mini chocolate chip morsels. The mini chips go a long way in the cookie dough and the chocolate flavor is great. Yum! Here are the ingredients for rmy cookies.
What about the shortening in the recipe?
A note about shortening: My recipe is a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe. Although this photo shows Crisco as the shortening, I actually prefer butter and used it in my final ingredient list. Both these shortenings work in cookie recipes. However, soft margarine, vegetable oil and olive oil just cannot be substituted into this cookie recipe. You need solid shortening to cream with the sugars and make these cookies soft and pliable.
Making the recipe
The recipe is simple to make. I adapted it off a package of Nestle Toll House semi-sweet mini chocolate morels, so you know it will be good. For this recipe, first toast the oatmeal in the oven for just a few minutes. Don’t over-bake. Just enough so that the oatmeal won’t absorb moisture in the batter but still has lots of oatmeal flavor. Chop (or crush) the mini pretzel twists with a rolling pin. Don’t over-do this. You want the pretzels to be in small pieces, not crushed pulp.
I use an electric mixer to mix up the cookie dough. Blend the butter and sugars until they are soft and airy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract; mix in the flour/bakingsoda/salt. Then stir in, by hand, the toasted oats, pretzel pieces and mini chocolate chips morsels.
Place heaping spoonfuls of the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Woops. Out of parchment paper? I cut up paper bags — they work just as well (or the wax liners of cereal boxes). Press down on the center of each cookie with your hand to flatten it slightly. This recipe makes 24 medium-sized cookies.
Bake in a hot 375 degree oven on the top rack of the oven for only 8 minutes. Don’t over bake. After several minutes of cooling on the baking sheet, loosen with a spatula and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you want something slightly different from ordinary chocolate chip cookies, try my recipe. I love them! Not so, so sweet and a bit healthier than ordinary cookies with the added oatmeal. And the “surprise” is the slight, salty twist. I hope you enjoy this variation on a classic cookie.
Toasted Oat & Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Salty Twist
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
- about 12 mini pretzel twists (to make 1/2 cup coursely chopped/crushed pretzels)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup or 8 oz) butter, softened (or 1/2 Crisco shortening)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup Nestle Toll House semi-sweet mini chocolate morsels
Method and Steps:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. (Alternately, line with the flat sides of cut-out paper grocery bags.)
- Spread oatmeal evenly on one baking sheet. Bake in 350 degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes until oatmeal is just barely toasted. Do not overbake. Immediately remove oatmeal from oven and transfer from hot baking sheet to small bowl (so oatmeal will stop toasting). Set aside.
- Increase temperature of oven up to 375 degrees.
- Place pretzels in single layer in zip lock bag. With rolling pin, coursely crush pretzels into small pieces. Avoid pulverizing the pretzels..Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl of electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add vanilla extract and combine.
- On low speed, gradually pour in flour mixture and beat. Do not over mix.
- Stir in toasted oatmeal, chopped pretzels and mini chocolate morsels.
- Drop onto parchment-lined baking sheets by rounded tablespoons. Lightly flatten top of each cookie with the side of your hand.
- Bake for 8 minutes on middle or upper rack of oven until lightly brown on top. Do no overbake.
- Cool on baking sheets for several minutes. Then use spatula to loosen cookies and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
I don’t know how I missed this recipe before, but I’m glad I finally spotted it! Love, love, love the idea of the crushed pretzels plus oats to give your chocolate chippers some crunchy texture!!! I’m with you on the butter; I never use shortening anymore. For sure, I’m going to try these!
Hello, butter, for sure, in cookie recipes! Thanks for stopping by my blog.