Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, another all-time favorite recipe for the all-time favorite cookie! I stumbled upon this "Once Upon a Chef" recipe and knew I had to try it. I'm thinking the secret ingredients are the processed oats and coconut which give the cookie a chewy inside, but a crisp outside. They are delectable! My husband, who doesn't like coconut, really loved these. I used a coffee grinder to pulverize the oatmeal since I don't have a food processor and it worked great.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 25
• Yields: 25 cookies

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup old fashioned oats, ground in a food processor or blender until very fine
• 1  cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool, 1 stick
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1  large egg
• 3⁄4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1⁄2-3⁄4 cup  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1⁄2 cup  sweetened  dried coconut
• 3⁄4 cup pecans, chopped (I used walnuts)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Whisk ground oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until combined, about 40 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl again. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Add chocolate chips, coconut and nuts; stir to combine. Do not overmix!
4. Form balls of 1 1/2 tablespoons each and place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. (Keep remaining batter cool in refrigerator while first batch bakes.) Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until edges of cookies begin to crisp but centers are still soft, about 13-15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 1 minute before transferring to cooking racks.