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Chunks of milk chocolate and rolled oats. The ultimate cookie combination!

Chunks of milk chocolate and rolled oats. The ultimate cookie combination!

I bake cookies often. Not for any particular reason, other than I find them to be the quickest thing to whip together to satisfy my sweet cravings.

I end up baking half of the dough and stashing the rest in my freezer for the next wave of cravings.

#sorrynotsorry

Chunks of milk chocolate and rolled oats. The ultimate cookie combination!

These Milk Chocolate Chunk Oat Cookies are everything you’re looking for in a cookie: slightly crisp edges, soft in the middle, and melty bits of chocolate in every bite….perfection!

The rolled oats add to gritty texture of the cookies and there are chunks of chocolate scattered throughout. You can add chopped walnuts or raisins to add an extra oomph of flavor.

Chunks of milk chocolate and rolled oats. The ultimate cookie combination!

Notes:

Once the dry ingredients are added, don’t over-mix the dough. With cookies, the less mixing, the better (once flour has been added). This will keep them soft and chewy instead of hard and dense.
Don’t forget parchment paper to line your cookie sheet. Parchment paper prevents the bottom of these cookies from getting overly baked/browned, and prevents them from sticking to the baking sheet.
Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling gives the dough time to rest and results in a flavorful cookie with a tighter shape. If you chill the dough for more than 30 minutes, it will firm up and become difficult to handle. If this happens, simply let the dough come to temperature on the kitchen counter before using.
Any milk chocolate will do. You can also use dark chocolate if you prefer a more bitter edge to balance the sweetness of the cookie.
If you can’t find rolled oats, you can use quick cooking oats. The texture of the cookies might be a litter harder.
These cookies are tender right out of the oven and will firm up as they cool. Make sure you let them cool on the baking tray for at least 5-6 minutes, before moving them to the rack to cool completely.
Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze really well. Place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Chunks of milk chocolate and rolled oats. The ultimate cookie combination!

Make a double batch and stash half the cookies in the freezer for another day.

It is always a wise idea to have cookie dough on hand in case of (sugar craving) emergencies 😉

Milk Chocolate Chunk Oat Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 cups (250g) flour

· 1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats

· 1 tsp cornflour

· 1 tsp baking soda

· 3/4 tsp salt

· 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

· 1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar

· 1/2 cup (120g) granulated white sugar

· 1 large egg, at room temperature

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· 300g milk chocolate, chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cornflour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated.
Fold in chocolate chunks.
Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180˚C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheet; top cookies with additional chocolate chunks (optional), pressing gently to adhere.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Notes

* If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to a ¼ tsp.

** Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Dense, chewy, delicious and oh-so-addictive!

Chocolate Chunk Bars

As I hunker down in my home, socially isolated from everyone I know, I look back at all the things I made in a time that now seems so far away. So many recipes made and shot in my Manchester dorm, each bringing nostalgia in various forms.

These bars, for instance, were first made during one of my many dissertation-writing blocks. With my mind whirring, fingers crimping, and eyes bleeding after hours of slaving away over my laptop, I always headed towards the kitchen as my refuge.

Easy to make, quick to bake; these rich, gooey, dark golden bars were my ultimate comfort treat.

Chocolate Chunk Bars Dense, chewy, delicious and oh-so-addictive!

This recipe involves one pesky little step which might sound quite extra but trust me when I tell you that it makes a world of a difference!

Browning the butter

Browning butter is truly a magical process. Simply by adding a little heat, plain molten butter transforms with bits of nutty caramel notes that elevates the flavor of nearly everything its added into.

You can skip this step if you must. The taste won’t as intense and rich though.

After browning the butter, its all down to a one-bowl flow. It can’t get any easier than that. Here are some extra tips:

Use dark chocolate to offset the overall sweetness of the bars.
Bake until the top is set and the sides are beginning to turn golden brown. They will be soft when you take them out, so let them cool before cutting.
My favorite way to eat these bars is cold when they have set up nicely. They are dense and chewy and o’so good.

Stay home, stay safe, and enjoy these delicious chocolate chunk bars.

xxx

Chocolate Chunk Bars

Yields: 16 small squares

Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter

· 1 cup (190g) packed brown sugar

· 1 large egg

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/4 tsp salt*

· 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

· 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into large chunks

· ½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment or wax paper.
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it becomes golden brown at the bottom and develops a nutty aroma. Do not burn! If you prefer not to use brown butter, you can skip the browning and just proceed with plain melted butter.
Pour brown butter into a large bowl and whisk in the brown sugar until smooth. Let the mix rest for a few minutes until it is lukewarm.
Whisk in egg, vanilla, and salt.
Stir in flour, chocolate and nuts. The batter will be thick.
Scrape into prepared pan and smooth with spatula.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center looks just set and the edges turn golden brown.
Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

Milk Chocolate Chunk Oat Cookies

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

· 1 1/2 cups (250g) flour

· 1/2 cup (50g) rolled oats

· 1 tsp cornflour

· 1 tsp baking soda

· 3/4 tsp salt

· 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

· 1/2 cup (110g) brown sugar

· 1/2 cup (120g) granulated white sugar

· 1 large egg, at room temperature

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· 300g milk chocolate, chopped

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cornflour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture; beat just until incorporated.

Fold in chocolate chunks.

Cover dough and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180˚C, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Form 1 1/2-inch balls of dough and place two inches apart on prepared baking sheet; top cookies with additional chocolate chunks (optional), pressing gently to adhere.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are set. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Notes

* If using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt to a ¼ tsp.

** Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

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Dense, chewy, delicious and oh-so-addictive!

As I hunker down in my home, socially isolated from everyone I know, I look back at all the things I made in a time that now seems so far away. So many recipes made and shot in my Manchester dorm, each bringing nostalgia in various forms.

These bars, for instance, were first made during one of my many dissertation-writing blocks. With my mind whirring, fingers crimping, and eyes bleeding after hours of slaving away over my laptop, I always headed towards the kitchen as my refuge.

Easy to make, quick to bake; these rich, gooey, dark golden bars were my ultimate comfort treat.

This recipe involves one pesky little step which might sound quite extra but trust me when I tell you that it makes a world of a difference!

Browning the butter

Browning butter is truly a magical process. Simply by adding a little heat, plain molten butter transforms with bits of nutty caramel notes that elevates the flavor of nearly everything its added into.

You can skip this step if you must. The taste won’t as intense and rich though.

After browning the butter, its all down to a one-bowl flow. It can’t get any easier than that. Here are some extra tips:

Use dark chocolate to offset the overall sweetness of the bars.

Bake until the top is set and the sides are beginning to turn golden brown. They will be soft when you take them out, so let them cool before cutting.

My favorite way to eat these bars is cold when they have set up nicely. They are dense and chewy and o’so good.

Stay home, stay safe, and enjoy these delicious chocolate chunk bars.

xxx

Chocolate Chunk Bars

Yields: 16 small squares

Ingredients:

· 1/2 cup (113g) salted butter

· 1 cup (190g) packed brown sugar

· 1 large egg

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/4 tsp salt*

· 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

· 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into large chunks

· ½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180˚C. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment or wax paper.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, stirring occasionally, until it becomes golden brown at the bottom and develops a nutty aroma. Do not burn! If you prefer not to use brown butter, you can skip the browning and just proceed with plain melted butter.

Pour brown butter into a large bowl and whisk in the brown sugar until smooth. Let the mix rest for a few minutes until it is lukewarm.

Whisk in egg, vanilla, and salt.

Stir in flour, chocolate and nuts. The batter will be thick.

Scrape into prepared pan and smooth with spatula.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the center looks just set and the edges turn golden brown.

Cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

Notes

* If using unsalted butter, increase the amount of salt to 1/2 tsp.

**Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Recipe adapted from My Modern Cookery

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