1cup(227g)salted butter, softened to room temperature
¾cup(159g)light brown sugar
¾cup(159g)granulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
½teaspoonlemon juice (see note)
2large eggs
2cups(340g)mini chocolate chips
1cup(120g)finely chopped toasted pecans, optional, but delicious
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
In a food processor or blender, pulse the oats until finely blended. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and pulse a few times until evenly combined.
In a large mixing bowl using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla, and mix until creamy and light in color, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until it starts to come together but there are still a lot of dry spots. Add the chocolate chips (and pecans, if using) and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain.
Portion the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon (or so) size mounds (I use my #40 cookie scoop), lining them up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to two days. If you are rolling your eyes about refrigerating, I get it and so I will say you CAN bake them right away but they will be a little thinner and the flavor won't be quite as good (but I do it all the time, let's be honest).
Before baking, I like to roll them in my hands quickly to form uniform balls. Place a couple inches apart on the baking sheets.
Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the edges are set but the cookies are still soft in the center. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
These Cookies Freeze Beautifully!as with almost all my drop cookie recipes, I bake them and let them cool completely - then put them in a large tupperware-like container (with sheets of waxed paper between each layer) and freeze.Lemon Juice: since I know you may be wondering the same thing, I have no idea what the little bit of lemon juice does or does not do in this recipe. I haven't tried a side-by-side comparison without it because we love the version below (and yes, bottled juice works just fine).Chilling the Dough: I mention this in the recipe below but these cookies are a teensy bit better if the dough is chilled. Except for a handful of recipes, I'm usually the one rolling my eyes at chilling cookie dough (come on!) but sometimes you get what you pay for. I admit, I bake these cookies right away a lot, but when I chill the dough, I'm always a tiny bit happier with the outcome (even though I'm a total grump about doing it).