Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

An unnamed somebody told me the other day I don't use my kitchen-aid much... well humpf... I made these cookies and you (the accuser) ate them. Ha. Chew on them Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies why don't you!? - I say this in jest and lots of love :)

To be honest with you readers, I've missed baking. To say it hasn't been on the top of my list this year is an understatement and among other things I've been 'attempting' to plan a wedding (Oh gawd! less than 2 months!!). Planning is very hard when you're a non-planner. I am a non-planner.

But cookies.. I can make cookies.

Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies to be exact. I baked and it was fun. I have been craving a chunky, chewy, full, oaty cookie thats got substance to it for some weeks now. Actually since I saw Amelia and Teddy make oatmeal cookies on youtube. My only issue with most oatmeal cookie recipes is that I'm not a huge fan of (soggy) dried fruit and lets face it, most recipes are packed full with the stuff. Maybe I'm just fussy. I like dried fruit in hot cross buns (toasted and drowned in butter), in christmas pudding (must be swimming in ice-cream/custard) and I like dried cranberries, currants and cherries but any other dried fruit thats not in the above items, no thanks. You can keep them.  I like the really dried, chewy stuff, none of this soggy, squishy variety. Yeh yeh, I could substitute the dried fruit I don't like with the stuff I do like - simple. Only thing was on the Sunday when I had a spare 2 hours to bake something (anything!), I only had all the dried fruit I didn't like left over from Christmas (yes - I do realise it's over 6 months later) and all the recipes I could find in my cookbooks at home either required dried fruit or weren't chunky enough/looked liked the cookie monster had sat on them they were so flat. I felt a little like Goldilocks...

Tartine - too flat.

Bourke Street Bakery - too barberry-like.

Alice Merich - in the chewy section.

Anna Jones - Coconut oil... in a cookie... you crazy cat you.

The Wednesday Chef - mmm just right.

The recipe that stole my stomach and ticked every box for the cookie I wanted. Chunky Chocolatey Oaty. Perfect. Bonus! There was a photo that reassured me they'd be somewhat chunky and not like anyone has sat on them AND they didn't include any nasty bits of dried fruit. A match made in cookie-heaven.

They were full of good quality chunks of dark chocolate, desiccated coconut, brown sugar, raw sugar, butter, oats and to be slightly 'healthier' (ha! who am I kidding?!) I swapped the plain flour for wholemeal flour. I also reduced the sugar slightly from the original recipe in Gourmet but not as much as Luisa did when she made them as I was worried my swap of wholemeal flour would be too earthy. Anyway - they turned out pretty damn good using the measurements in the recipe below.

I brought them along for dessert ft a pizza and wine night and while they didn't go quite well with rosé, I was told they went great with a glass of red.

Chocolate Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

recipe adapted from The Wednesday Chef (originally from Gourmet)
Makes lots of cookies

225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons raw/white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup wholemeal all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups good quality dark chocolate (340g), roughly chopped
3/4 cup almonds with skins (110g), toasted, cooled, and chopped

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C (lower if fan forced) and line 2 trays with baking paper.

Start by beating together butter and both sugars in a bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until just blended, then add in the vanilla, baking soda, and salt.

Next, add wholemeal flour and mix on low speed until just blended. Either on a low speed or by hand, stir in the rolled oats, desiccated coconut, chocolate chunks, and chopped almonds.

To start shaping the cookies, you'll use a 1/4-cup measuring cup and place mounds of cookie dough about 3 inches apart on the baking trays. Bake until golden, rotating halfway through, 15 minutes total.

Cool the cookies on the trays for about 1 minute, then transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough until all cookies are baked.