oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies
Ah, spring. A season of renewal and hope. And for some of you, dating. It would seem that winter makes us forget how wretched the courting process is. We get distracted by cold temperatures and tiny daggers falling from the sky. We begin to believe that next winter would be better spent with someone to snuggle. As the snow melts and temperatures rise, we let our guard down. Emboldened and revitalized, that person once considered undatable, now exhibits some potential. I’ve been there, friends, and I’ve dated a lot of dudes with spring curb appeal. That’s why I’m so good at giving relationship advice. (Even if you haven’t asked for it.)
I work with a lot of women – dozens of ’em. So conversations centred on dating and relationships are a regular occurrence. Before meeting 2.0, I recall having the following springy conversation with a workmate. A workmate filled with dating optimism.
Workmate: So, are you still with your guy?
movita: Uh, no. We broke up over the holidays. It was pretty festive.
Workmate: That’s okay. Summer’s coming.
movita: Meaning?
Workmate: That’s when people meet. In the summer. On patios.
movita: I’m pretty sure people meet in the winter.
Workmate: Not nearly as often as they do in the summer.
movita: I’d like to see the statistics on that.
Workmate: 3% of couples meet on airplanes and then get married.
movita: That can’t be true.
Workmate: Ever sit next to a hot guy on a plane?
movita: Sure.
Workmate: See? You could have married one of ‘em.
movita: But I didn’t.
Workmate: But you could have.
movita: Okay, but wouldn’t that mean of all of the married couples I know, 3% met on planes?
Workmate: Yes.
movita: NO. I don’t know any couples who met on a plane!
Workmate: I’m just saying.
movita: Saying what?
Workmate: You could meet a guy on a patio this summer.
movita: Oh, for heaven’s sake…
If you’re about to start a new season of dating, you might consider my workmate’s optimistic words. Also, cookies. Cookies will brush you off after a date gone wrong, or help you celebrate a date gone right. Ever have a guy pick you up for a date wearing clogs? I have. Ever spend an evening with a dude who talked about his Russian belt buckle for three hours? Been there. Ever found nude photos of the man you’re dating on a gay website? Yup, I’ve traversed that path as well. And cookies might have helped. (Just kidding. Those images are forever burned on my brain.)
These cookies are soft and a teeny bit sticky (coconut has a way of doing that). The coconut also makes these cookies a little chewy – though the oats should get credit for this as well. They are on the thin side (my favourite) and have a salty-sweet thing going on. 2.0 and I have been munching on dozens of test cookies, and have found that they are perfect lunchbox fare, and a great pick-me-up alongside tea when you hit that mid-afternoon lull.
Push on, Spring Daters! And know that I’m here for you…
. . .
Note: if you aren’t a salty-sweet fan, consider reducing the salt in this recipe to 1/2 teaspoon and be sure to use unsalted butter (as listed).
Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 2.5 dozen cookies.
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Mise en place – begin by getting organized. Read through the entire recipe before beginning. Measure out all of your ingredients. The dough requires chilling before baking – be sure you’ve allowed some time for this.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars on medium speed (3-5 minutes). Add the egg and mix until well combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix in the vanilla, beating until well combined.
Add the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until well combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of bowl at least once. Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut by hand – the mixture will be very thick.
Chill the dough for 30 minutes prior to baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheets. I use a small ice cream scoop which holds about 1.5 tablespoons of dough.
Bake 9-11 minutes or until the edges are golden, and the cookies are lightly browned. The centers of the cookies may seem slightly underdone, but will firm up with carryover baking. Rotating pans midway through baking will ensure even baking.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and then remove and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
i met mine in early Feb and a month later, we raised the temps in his apartment and i walked around in my skivvies pretending it was summer. you know what stat that makes me? 100% EASY.
I met mine in September, and six months later he bought me a house. Know what that makes me? EXPENSIVE.
damn girl damn. it took mine about 1.5 years to pay off my entire 2nd mortgage.
My friend and I worked out a theory that, in spring and summer, more people are likely to jog shirtless. While sitting on patios, you see them run by, and you think, yeah, I could get with that. You shouldn’t go jogging shirtless in the winter. So yeah, the warm weather is where it’s at for dating. Not all who jog shirtless are worthy of our attention, but lucky for everyone out there on their spring dates, you’re here with advice and cookies. Which look delicious!!
Paula and I met in the winter (on ok cupid slash through a friend) but then our first real date was on a (coffee shop) patio! In December. So… you’re both right?! (But seriously what kind of patios was she talking about??)
These cookies look like my exact cup of tea. Thin crispy/chewy oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips instead of raisins… getting some coconut in there is a great idea too! I’ll be trying these for sure. 🙂
I heart cookies & I heart girl talk over a plate of said cookies. Happily, I’m often the agony aunt with my pals too and I’m often the cookie provider too, (go figure!) Love the combo of oats & coconut, these remind me slightly of an Anzac biccie from down under 🙂
ha ha ha ha! LOVED this story and I’m 100% sure I’m going to love these cookies 🙂
Hmm, interesting theories! We have patio parties…because we are old, married, and it’s not too far from the house. (Also easier to pen the children.) You will meet no eligible bachelors here.
Halifax has about 100 bars/pubs/restaurants per square inch downtown, and in the summertime sidewalks and rooftops are converted to patios (as in many cities). People go apeshit for them, and bazillions of sweaty humans eat and drink in the out of doors, shoulder pressed against sweaty shoulder. This means that a) walking down the sidewalk is next to impossible, b) things (drinks) could fall on your head, c) your patio parties sound more practical, and d) there IS an exchange of bodily fluids, which may constitute dating.
I am happy to say I have never, ever “dated”. I wasn’t even trying to find someone when my husband and I met (I was in my late teens/early twenties, and in case it isn’t obvious, most guys of that age are not exactly… ahem… great relationship material.) Now I just sit back and bask in how lucky I am, to never have had to go through some of the crap people tell me about their past dates. To all you spring lovebirds out there, I wish you luck, but also that you come back with fantastic stories. I’ll be waiting with a big bowl of popcorn. Or cookies, because seriously, I really want oatmeal coconut cookies now. WHY DID I NEVER THINK TO PUT COCONUT IN OATMEAL COOKIES? WHY?!
I wish I could laugh along with you on this one, because unfortunately for every clog-wearing, buckle-enthusiast, nude-gay-porn-aficionado, there’s an equivalent female version.
The main difference is that they think that smiling creepily will make up for it.
I wish you could see my creepy smile right now…
Me too Willow! I got married at 20 and we just celebrated our 20th anniversary this past September! Well I DID date one guy seriously before Mr. Hungry and that was enough dating drama for a lifetime (or at least I thought so until I read Movita’s history and realized I had it easy by comparison! ha ha!) Still love living vicariously through the dating fiasco’s of other people though! Bring on the Spring dating season!! And also these cookies! Man I’d kill for some cookies right now…
I met the Husband in high school but I’m always quick to point out that we are not high school sweethearts because I hate that cliche (no offence to all the high school sweethearts out there!). We started dating after breaking up with our long term partners at the very mature age of 21. As for the nude photos on the gay website, those images will be with you forevaaaaaaah. And don’t even think about clawing your own eyes out – that just means they might be some of the last images you ever see! Better to keep baking and eating these cookies. They seriously look gorgeous, all thin ‘n crispy while simultaneously chewy. I’m in love!
Soft and a teeny bit sticky is just how I like my oatmeal cookies. In another life we owned a large dating site. We had a monthly photo contest and one guy got really angry with us because we wouldn’t run his photo in the contest. He was nude but he’d painted himself green and was lying in the snow making a snow angel. True story. You couldn’t make this shit up. He felt the paint was clothing enough to quality for the winning spot. It wasn’t.
Like all the girls would be wanting to meet that “date”????? EWWWWWW!!!
No, you cannot make that shit up. It is the best of shit. I’ve always thought I should be a match maker (I have set up a few successful marriages). Then I read this, and wonder what I would do with a naked green man. (Aside from mocking, that is…)
I’d really like to meet the guy with the Russian belt buckle 😉 I count my blessings, because there is no way I’d want to be on the dating scene again. These cookies look so chewy. I think I’ll have one when I feel the need to kick Squirrel in the shin.
No. You do not want to meet Russian Belt Buckle Man. He got tipsy on our date, his brother had to drive me home, and then his cousin called and asked me out the next day. I WAS A COMMUNAL WOMAN.
Okay movita, you can’t drop a story about nudie photos from a gay website without explaining how you happened across said pictures and said website. I guess you actually can, but it gives me sketchy eyebrows and squishy face.
You’re right, I should probably tell you more about The Incident. But I think I’ll let the suspense build…
Look. at. these. cookies. I want the cookies I want all of them! I would comment on the dating but all I’m thinking about is sticky chewy coconut oatmeal cookies with CHOCOLATE CHIPS and I’m sorry, I can’t focus on anything else.
I met DF through my ex-bf. (I did break up with said ex-bf before asking DF to teach me how to surf!) I thought he could show me how to surf since I always wanted to learn and living next to the ocean. But I think he spent most of his time pulling me out from under the waves and keeping me from drowning. Gotta love someone who tries to save your life right?
But you know that movie 5 yr engagement? Yeah, that’s us.
p.s. I was going to make DF Ranger Cookies from I Am A Food Blog. But your Instagram post won me over. And now DF will love me long time.
Still waiting for that other chocolate chip cookie recipe…..You know, the one you wouldn’t share. 🙂
How do you know what I’ve been up to? Good advice, my friend. It’s a jungle out there! Alas, no talk of belt buckles. Yet.
Godspeed, woman. Be careful in the jungle… {tee hee!!}
Yummy cookies but a little salty. Make sure to use unsalted butter or reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp. they looked exactly like your pictures!
I do love a salty sweet cookie! I have unsalted butter listed in the recipe as there is a lot of salt incorporated to cancel out the coconut and chocolate. But you’re right, if one isn’t a fan of the salty, reducing the salt would be wise. I think I’ll add a little note at the top of the recipe! So glad they turned out for you and thanks for your feedback…
Ooh, I think you’ve made a favorite cookie of mine even better by adding coconut! Thank goodness I don’t need your dating advice, but I may send my children your way 😉
I’m here to help. Just ask my students…
These are divine. Just a note: I made these, but like my cookies a bit more chewy or cake-like in consistency. I just added a 1/2 tsp of baking powder to the recipe and got a puffier chewy cookie instead of the flat and crispy. I took them to work where virtually all 12 of the women I work with, asked for the recipe and are begging me to bring them again. That says something, for sure! Thanks for the great recipe. I’m making them again today. 🙂
This is wonderful to hear! Thanks so much for stopping by to leave such a lovely comment – I’m glad that you were able to achieve the poofiness you prefer! Isn’t baking grand?
This post made me appreciate that i don’t have to date anymore: the PRESSURE! the OVERTHINKING! I met Mr. Table through working at a bank and him coming in with loads of cash. Not a bad way to gauge someone, ladies (I kid! jokes! he was bringing in deposits from his place of business, but still). Either way, i’ve never met anyone who’s turned into a long-term partner by hanging out on a patio: always through work or mutual friends, both of which methods (they say) yield the highest percentage of long-term relationships. True in my case. Had i brought these cookies to a patio party? Things may have been different. Who knows.
Ohmyyyyyy…these are DELICIOUS!!!!!
So glad you liked them!!
These cookies sound awesome! Wonder if coconut oil would work instead of butter. Hmmmm. I’ll have to try it.
I’m sure you’ve guessed that I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut oil, but I’d love to hear if you try it out! If I had to venture a guess – and it really is only that – I’m thinking they might spread more, though the chilling before baking might curb that a little.
Thanks for the recipe, they turned out delicious!!
So nice to hear! Glad to hear you liked them!
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