Herman Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you keep a Herman starter going, these cookies are a tasty way to use some up. Herman is a sweet sourdough ‘friendship’ starter, passed between bakers, and it lends these cookies a subtle tang and tender texture you won’t get from a standard recipe.

These are loaded cookies. Beyond the starter, the dough mixes in oats for chew, dry-roasted peanuts for crunch, and a full bag of semisweet chocolate chips, with Bisquick and a little flour giving the structure.

Brown sugar and a splash of oil keep them soft and moist, and rolling the balls in sugar before baking gives the tops a delicate, sparkly crackle.

You shape them into balls, flatten, and bake until just golden, hearty and chewy with something in every bite.

They’re an easy, kid-friendly bake and a satisfying answer to the question of what to do with extra starter.

Chef Tips

• Make sure your Herman starter is active and well-fed for the best flavor and rise.
• Don’t overbake; pull them at just golden for chewy, not crisp, cookies.
• Space them 2 inches apart, since they spread.
• Use dry-roasted peanuts for crunch that holds up in the dough.

Variations

• Swap peanuts for walnuts, pecans, or leave the nuts out.
• Use a mix of chocolate and butterscotch chips.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon to play up the oats.