Snow and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Believe it or not, Atlanta got a little snow, or ice, or some sort of white crystaly stuff on the ground that made us slip and get cold, but was really fun nonetheless. School was cancelled, so there's nothing like a snowy Friday or rainy Sunday that makes me want to make chocolate chip cookies.

The whole process  is so homey and soothing, I remember my mom making Toll House cookies when I was a kid and the smell in the kitchen, me just eating right when they came off of the sheet. Nothing beats a warm chocolate chip cookie.

However, I've been trying to healthy things up in our house and though I don't really buy store bought cookies anymore, and believe they're much better tasting and better health wise to make them yourself, there's still some finagling room in the realm of homebaked goods. Though I still use white sugar sometimes, I've switched to adding blended organic oatmeal and not only using organic flour, but also whole wheat. The blend adds a good rustic taste which my family really loves, using a turbinado sugar even adds to that. So though you are getting some nice buttery fat and sugar, you're also getting fiber from the oatmeal and whole grains from the whole wheat.

Here's my toyed with recipe for Snow Day Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 sticks butter (softened)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar (you can use turbinado but use a little less)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup organic all purpose flour

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 cups organic oatmeal (divided)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 bag chocolate chips ( I like dark but use whatever you like)

In a mixer, blend butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well. Gently add in both flours, baking soda and salt. In a food processor, blend one cup of the oatmeal into coarse flourlike consistency. Add that to butter mixture and blend just until incorporated. Add the other cup of non-blended oatmeal and mix to blend. You may want to use a wooden spoon as you don't want to over beat (it makes your cookies tough). Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls in consistent size onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 ° for about 8 minutes (for chewy) or just until the wet look is gone. Add a minute or two for a crispier cookies. Best to eat when chocolate chips are still warm from the oven!