Clinton's Chips

These oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are loaded. Two cups of old-fashioned oats and a full 12 ounces plus an extra cup of semisweet chocolate chips packed into a brown sugar and white sugar dough. Every bite hits oats and chocolate.

The double-sugar approach drives the texture. White sugar crisps the edges while packed light brown sugar keeps the centers chewy and adds a caramel undertone. Together they create a cookie with two distinct textures in one bite.

Old-fashioned rolled oats give these a hearty chew and visible oat texture that quick oats can’t match. They absorb moisture from the dough during baking, which keeps the cookies from spreading too flat.

Eight to ten minutes at 350°F (180°C) gives you golden cookies that look barely done. They’re still soft in the center when they come out, but 2 minutes of cooling on the sheet firms them up. Pull too late and they’ll be crunchy throughout.

Chef Tips

• Cream the shortening, sugars, and vanilla until truly light and fluffy before adding eggs. This step traps air for a lighter cookie.
• Drop by well-rounded teaspoonfuls for smaller cookies that bake evenly.
• Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring. Warm cookies break.
• Store in an airtight container to maintain the chewy center.

Variations

• Peanut butter oatmeal chip: Add ½ cup peanut butter to the creamed mixture for a PB-chocolate-oat triple threat.
• White chocolate macadamia: Swap semisweet chips for white chocolate chips and add chopped macadamia nuts.
• M&M version: Replace half the chocolate chips with M&Ms for a colorful, kid-friendly cookie.