Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds and Sea Salt

I decided to modify one of my favorite cookie recipes and the end result was pretty fantastic. But maybe they need a shorter name? I have never made this recipe exactly as written and it has always been forgiving. This time I omitted the raisins, coconut, and walnuts and added toasted almonds and sea salt. Two of my favorite things. Yum. I should have doubled the recipe and frozen half so I could be enjoying one right now. Or maybe its best that I didn't. In any event, my favorite sous-chef was by my side making sure beaters were clean and and the dry ingredients were perfectly measured.

Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almonds and Sea Salt

modified from Martha Stewart

These are not a light, moist, cakey cookie. They are dense and  fabulous and super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup roasted almonds (I used sliced)
• course-ground sea salt for topping the cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpat mats.
2. In a mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Stir in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add oats, chocolate chips, and almonds and mix on slow speed until well blended, scraping the sides of the bowl. 
4. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes. I find that refrigerating the dough is the key to cookies that don't spread when you bake them. It's a personal preference when making chocolate chip cookies and is certainly not necessary.
5. Form dough into balls about 11/2-2 inches in diameter. Place on Silpat about 2 inches apart and press gently on the top of each one with the palm of your hand. Sprinkle each one with sea salt. Add an almond to the top if you want them to look fancy. Bake until golden, about 16 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove from pan, and finish cooling completely on wire rack.
6. Try not to eat them all in 2 days like we did.

     Yields about 4 dozen small cookies.

     *This dough refrigerates and freezes really well for ready-to-bake cookies.