Chocolate chip cookies from Metropolitan Bakery

These chocolate chip cookies, from the Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook, are very similar to the Christie's Cookies copycat I posted awhile back. I think I've finally decided that this type of cookie is my favorite type of chocolate chip cookie: hearty with ground oats, full of crunchy nuts, lots of dark chocolate chunks, and with a shiny, crunchy exterior and slightly chewy interior.

When we were in Philly, we frequented the Metropolitan Bakery, but we did not get a chance to sample their chocolate chip cookies. Next time, I might need to get one just to see if this recipe is a good representation of the original.

I love, love these cookies. I could eat one a day for the rest of my life. Warning--this recipe makes a lot of cookies!! They freeze and defrost beautifully, though.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from the Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 large square of milk chocolate (maybe about 2 oz.)

1 & 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 & 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups bittersweet chocolate chunks (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocao baking chips)

3 cups nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (the recipe says half walnuts, half pecans but I used half pecans half almonds)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment; set aside. Toast the nuts in the preheating oven for 5-10 minutes, or until you can smell the nuts and they darken just a little in color. Do not let burn. Let the nuts cool and chop them; set aside.

In a spice grinder or food processor, grind up the oats finely. Combine and sift together all the dry ingredients (flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Finely grate the milk chocolate into the dry ingredients and whisk to combine evenly.

With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, not adding the next one until the current egg is fully incorporated into the batter. Add the vanilla and beat briefly to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix in at low speed until just combined. Mix/fold in the chocolate chunks and chopped nuts.

Make cookies into approximately 2 tablespoon portions and bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies look barely set and the edges are light-medium brown. For nice craggly tops, whack the bottom of the pan to the counter top and you will see the cookies collapse a bit in the middle. Let cookies cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Store in airtight container for a few days, or freeze in airtight bags and just defrost to room temperature before eating. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.