Recipe: Kay Peterson's Big Chocolate Chip Cookies (soft and chewy, using oats and lemon juice)

KAY PETERSON'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Rachel: "Kay Peterson sent me this a couple weeks ago and they are super good! (I sound like a child, but it is worth it for these cookies!) In one batch we followed directions as Kay states but added Peanut butter chips, and then in the second batch I added a little nutmeg... and boy was it worth it... they are really soft and chewy cookies. If anyone wants a wonderful recipe for chocolate chip cookies, this is it!! :) Thanks again to Kay Peterson! Oh yes, and I didn't flatten them out, so they would be a little thicker... and they held up wonderfully! These are about 5-inches across and delicious. I've never had them fail."

BIG CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon*
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup oatmeal (not instant), uncooked
1 1/2 cups broken pecans
1 cup chocolate chips**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with foil.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter. Add vanilla, lemon juice and then the sugars. Beat well. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

On low speed, add the dry ingredients and oatmeal, beating only until mixed.

Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread out a large piece of waxed paper on the counter. Using 1/4 cup measure, place blobs of dough any which way on it (12-15 blobs). Using slightly wet hands, roll each blob into a ball and then flatten it to about 1/2-inch thick.*** Place on foil-lined cookie sheets (about 4 cookies to a sheet is maximum).

Bake 16-18 minutes or well-colored. Watch closely at the end. When they come out of the oven let stand for a minute before removing to cooling racks.

These freeze well.

*In the second batch I added a little nutmeg... and boy was it worth it. - Rachel

**In one batch we followed directions as Kay states but added peanut butter chips. - Rachel

***I didn't flatten them out, so they would be a little thicker... and they held up wonderfully! - Rachel

Source: Rachel, 1997