Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies are slam dunkers

In a world with thousands of chocolate chip cookie recipes, this is the one I keep coming back to. It’s perfect when I want a crispy, dunkable, comforting oatmeal chocolate chip cookie that will have me delighting in the extra chew time to work through good ol’ rolled oats, some I-don’t-know-what-you-are-but-I-like-that-you’re-there fibery bits, little hits of buttery walnuts and, of course, the requisite dark chocolate chunks. The coconut won’t make this taste like a coconut cookie — it’s there along with the ground flax and whole wheat flour to add a subtle richness, chewiness and lattice texture that will have you coming back to this recipe time and time again.

Be sure to use real old fashioned rolled oats (not quick oats) for these to have the crispy texture you’re after. I prefer the richness and salty flavor of Irish butter in my baking, but feel free to substitute standard salted butter. If you want to make just one cookie sheet full and save the rest for fresh-baked cookies at a later time, wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and roll it into a thick log before placing it in the freezer, so you can just slice it into half-inch thick discs to bake when the craving strikes.

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Crispy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Comfort Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, room temperature

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup ground flax meal

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1½ cups chopped walnuts

2 cups dark chocolate chips/chunks

¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt, optional, for sprinkling tops

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a whisk), beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat another 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. With the mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just incorporated, about 10 seconds. Next, mix in the oats and shredded coconut until fully incorporated. Finally, mix in the walnuts and chocolate chips with a large rubber spatula until evenly distributed. The dough will be a bit crumbly.

Place 2- to 3-tablespoon mounds of the dough onto the cookie sheets, spacing the mounds about three inches apart, and then flatten each mound with your palm until it forms a flat circle, about ½-inch thick. Lightly sprinkle the coarse sea salt over the tops before baking.

Bake one cookie sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet for an extra crispy cookie. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to five days. Makes about 2½ dozen cookies

Registered dietitian and food writer Laura McLively is the author of “The Berkeley Bowl Cookbook.” Follow her at @myberkeleybowl and www.lauramclively.com./Tribune News Service