{recipe} Chocolate Chip & Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

I am not a huge cookie lover, but these cookies - I just can't resist them.  They are thick and chewy with a ton of flavor.  Did I mention super simple to make?  A keeper in our house.

  CHOCOLATE CHIP & WALNUT OATMEAL COOKIES:
* makes about 2 dozen cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cups + 2 tbsp brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp baking soda (Bob's Red Mill is my favorite brand)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (I use a ton of oats so I buy in bulk)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/4 cup high-quality dark chocolate chips

* I recommend using organic/grass-fed/high quality ingredients from reputable companies when feasible.

Cream the unsalted butter, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract together in the bowl of a stand mixer (this is the one I own and love,) in smaller separate bowl whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt together.  Add the flour to the buttery mixture.  Stir in the oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips.

Line a cookie sheet  with parchment paper (I like to use unbleached parchment paper.)

Using a cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough on to the prepared cookie sheet.  Using the palm of your hand gently press down the cookie dough to form a round circle (basically a cookie shape.)

Place the cookie sheet into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Remove the cookie sheet from the refrigerator and place it directly into the fully heated oven.  Bake the chocolate chip & walnut oatmeal cookies for 10-12 minutes (it will vary depending on how cold your cookies are), or until they are golden on the edges and a little under-cooked looking on the top.

Let the cookies sit on the hot cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Keep the chocolate chip & walnut oatmeal cookies in an airtight container for up to a week, if they keep that long.

Freezer friendly: The cookie dough for these chocolate chip & walnut oatmeal cookies freezes beautifully.  Instead of placing the already formed cookies into the refrigerator, place the cookie sheet in the freezer.  Freeze for 30 minutes.  Transfer the frozen unbaked chocolate chip & walnut oatmeal cookies into a labeled (content and date) freezer zipper bag.  Freeze for up to 4 months.
* When you are ready to bake the cookies simply place the cookies on a prepared cookie sheet, and follow the same steps as above - you might have to bake them for a 1 or 2 minutes longer.