Grapenut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe in a copy of O magazine at the gym (I'd read all the old Janes, Vogues, and Elles. I'd read all the old People's, Us Weekly's, and In Touches. I'd even flipped through the stupid Shape and Self magazine. It was this or the Economist.)

I like offbeat choco chip cookies, and the grapenuts & the dark chocolate are pretty unusual. I used a chopped up Dove chocolate bar, because CVS was the only thing open (and I don't live near a grocery big enough to carry anything but plain old semisweet chocolate chips). A) It was far too much chocolate. When the chocolate wasn't covered by dough on the bottom, which was most of the time, the chocolate scorched even when the cookie itself was just golden brown (8-10 minutes). The dark chocolate was also incredibly sweet; using a fancy high cocoa chocolate might fix that, but I also wonder if semi-sweet isn't the norm for a reason.

I have trouble describing why the grapenuts were awesome; I do love secret suprise fiber, but they also gave the cookie a certain gravitas.... The cookies were very chewy and moist, but also had a little crunch. You don't bite through they too easily. Really, tasty illicit fiber should be reason enough.

I also made some without any chocolate, and they make fantastic, hearty oatmeal cookies. I'm also thinking of adding some earl grey tea leaves to the chocolateless dough, to try to make the perfect earl grey cookie.


Oprah Magazine Grapenut Chocolate Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter (don't toss the wrappers)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned (or rolled) oats
1/2 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
12-ounce bag dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F (if you want them really crispy, jack up the oven to 400°F). Use the butter wrappers to grease 2 cookie sheets. Combine the flour, oats, cereal, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.

In a second, large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually stir flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by rounded Tablespoons, not teaspoons), about 2 inches apart onto prepared pans. Bake until light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Use a spatula to remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.