EAT: CHOCOLATE OAT COOKIES

MAKES 24 | PREP 10 MINS | COOKING 20 MINS | VEGETARIAN

This post comes with a warning. A delicious warning! The batter is so good, I couldn't stop eating it. And when they're fresh from the oven... words can't describe the crunch, the gooey chocolate, the soft centre.

And perhaps I have made them more than once this week. They just went that quickly. Possibly, the batter; possibly the finished product. Either way, these are too good not to share.
INGREDIENTS
150g butter (I used dairy free margarine)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup self raising flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips (I used 1 cup of milk chocolate, and 1/2 cup white chocolate and mini choc chips, just because)

METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius (160 degrees if you have a fan forced oven). Line two baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
2 Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer or by hand. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix well.
3 In a bowl, combine the flour, oats and the chocolate chips.
4 Fold the butter and sugar mixture with the dry ingredients until well combined.
5 Roll out the mixture into tablespoon sized balls and use the flat bottom of a cup (I used a spoon) to press them down a little.
6 Bake for 20 minutes until pale golden (see note below), but keep an eye on them; cooking them to a pale golden stage is important to make sure they have the perfect crunch.
7 Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

While you are waiting for the cookies to cook, try to resist the batter. Oh my. One cannot stop once you've started. My kids (and I) were literally panting for more batter!

Because I freeze my biscuits for school lunches, for the first time, I rotated the cookies because I hate a soggy cookie bottom. So, I cooked them for 16 minutes, took them out of the oven, waited for them to cool for a minute, then turned them over and baked them for a further 4 minutes. It was totally worth it!

I'd like to thank Aussie Farmers for this recipe. It was in the magazine that sometimes accompanies my fresh milk and bread on Tuesday mornings. Also, it's on their website here (page 23). Mine don't look anything like theirs. But I'm okay with that ;)

So... you've been warned. And I hope you (and the kids) enjoy them!