Whole Grain Double Chocolate-Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies

Splurge on good chocolate and cocoa, and these are absolute decadence. Enjoy with coffee in morning, tea in the afternoon, or a jammy red in the evening. So tasty, you’ll forget all about the whole grains.

ingredients

makes about 4 dozen

  • 8 oz (1 cup/ 2 sticks) Butter, softened to 65-70F

  • 14.5 oz (2 cups packed) Brown Sugar

  • 3 Large Eggs, room temperature

  • 1 oz (2 Tablespoons) Milk, room temperature

  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla

  • 5.5 oz (1 1/2 cups) Oats

  • 6.2 oz (1 1/2 cups) Whole Wheat Flour, whole wheat white preferred

  • 3.3 oz (1 cup+1TB) Dutch Process Cocoa

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

  • 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

  • 2 Teaspoons Table Salt

  • 12 ounces (1 package) Chocolate Chips or Coarsely Chopped Chocolate Bars, any hue or blend of choice

  • 10 oz (2 cups) Dried Cherries or other dried fruit and/or nuts

 

deviations & tips

  • You can sub 7 oz of oat flour for 7 oz of whole oats and skip the processing step.

  • I’m using Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa and Callebaut 33.6% Milk Chocolate

  • DO NOT skip the chilling step. Freezing the dough prevents the excessive spreading that plaques whole grain doughs.

  • DO experiment with different add-ins, chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit, to make it your own.

Add oats to a food processor or blender and process until finely ground. In a medium bowl, blend oats with flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Oats processed into flour.

Oats processed into flour.

 

Add butter, brown sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of your mixer. Fit with paddle attachment. Mix on low for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix for 8 minutes, stopping to scrape about halfway, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next. Stop and scrape down bowl and beater. Add flour mixture all at once and mix on low for 15 seconds. Some dry flour should still be visible. Add chocolate and cherries or any other add-ins all at once and mix on low speed for another 15 seconds or until the dough just comes together. Remove bowl from machine and fold with a spatula or spoon to evenly distribute your add-ins. Using a 2 tablespoon/1 ounce/#30 cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto cookie sheets and freeze… Keep in mind you can remove them from the cookie sheets before baking. So, feel free to space closely and save freezer space. I can fit all 48-50 cookies on 2 quarter sheet pans or 1 half sheet pan. Freeze at least 30 minutes for a thicker cookie. For best flavor, freeze overnight. Frozen cookie dough balls can be stored in freezer bags and kept frozen if not using right away.

 

Preheat oven to 350F. Line half-sheet pans with parchment paper and space 12 cookies evenly apart on each sheet. Do not bake any more than 1-2 dozen at a time. Bake on the center 2 racks for 12 - 15 minutes or until the edges are just set. Cool completely on cookie sheet. Store in an airtight container or freeze.