Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's been a while since I made cookies as a birthday treat and an eternity since I've made oatmeal cookies. They happen to be my very favorite, too. So when Ashley gave me choice of three different treats for her belated birthday treat, choosing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies was no contest!
But which recipe should I make? I narrowed it down to two and decided to see what would happen if I combined them. The end result? A little chewy on the inside, a nice crispiness on the outside, and just the right balance of spice and chocolate. What a great cookie for a cold winter day. Oh, and one last thing: these cookies would be great to make for an open house or right before a party. My house smells good enough to eat!

Ashley's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: about 3 dozen

1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oatmeal flour*
3 cups old-fashioned 100% oatmeal*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

*Note about the Oatmeal: I always use the 5-minute cook time type but if all you have is quick cooking, use that. Just make sure that the oatmeal flour and the oatmeal are of the same type of oatmeal. Oatmeal flour can be bought in the bulk food section, from Bob's Red Mill Flours and is usually the 5-minute cook time type. However, I usually just make it by blending about 3/4 of a cup of old-fashioned oats in a blender on high until it turns into flour.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.

In a medium sized bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix together will using a fork, being sure to break up clumps. Set aside.

In a big bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.

Combine the dry mixture into the wet mixture, being sure to check for air pockets of trapped flour mixture. When well combined, stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop teaspoonfuls of cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet bake for 10-12 minutes. **DO NOT OVER COOK!** They will continue cooking after you take them out of the oven. (I use this tool as it helps to make even sized cookies). Don't remove them from the cookie sheet too quickly. Allow to cool for a 3 minutes before transferring them to a baker's rack or they may break apart. Once they are completely cooled, store in an airtight container.