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This is one of the first new recipes I ever posted on The Creekside Cook. It only seems appropriate that I bring Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies back to the top to celebrate a new design. It had become increasingly evident that my old blog wasn’t working all that well anymore. That is no surprise since I created the design back in the Middle Ages of the internet. Technology has changed a lot since then. I’m loving the new look, and I hope that you do as well. You can let me know in the comments!
These are our favorite cookies, bar none. I don’t make them real often because they are pretty decadent, and we do try to exercise some measure of self-control. I am helpless in the face of these – bittersweet chocolate, coconut, toasted pecans, dried sour cherries – all in a brown sugar oatmeal dough that bakes up crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfection.
I use unsweetened coconut in these because I think the sweetened kind makes them a little too sugary. If you can’t find unsweetened, use your regular supermarket brand, and cut the granulated sugar by a tablespoon or two. 
You can also use the regular kind of oats, but I would zap them up in the food processor a bit so they get cooked while the cookies bake – if you don’t mind the heavier texture, then just leave them whole. You can substitute any dried fruit you may have on hand, but the dried sour cherries are pretty amazing. In the recipe, you will find links to some of the ingredients, just in case you’re unable to find them locally.
Equipment I use in my kitchen
Chicago Metallic Sheet Pans ~ Unbleached Parchment Paper ~ Cooling Racks
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup soft butter
- 1 tablespoon & 1/2 cups light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon eggs
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
- 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup dried sour cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º, and line heavy baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in the mixer bowl and beat briefly.
- Add sugars and beat until combined and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and beat until creamy.
- Add the flour, salt, baking soda and powder and beat until combined.
- Add the oats and and coconut and beat until mixed in.
- Add the nuts, chocolate and cherries and beat until combined.
- Portion dough onto baking sheets with a medium cookie scoop or measure at 1 & 1/2 tablespoon each - leave a couple inches between cookies as they will spread out some.
- Bake for about 14 minutes, until very nicely browned, turning sheets halfway through baking time.
- Cool on a rack, store tightly sealed for up a week at room temperature.
Look pretty yummy, don’t they?
If you enjoyed these Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies, you may enjoy a few other sweet treats too! Brown Butter Pecan Cookies or Lime Butter Cookies, both favorites around here!
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Cinnamon Pecan Blondies
Cinnamon Chocolate Chunk Coffee Cake
Molasses Spice Bars
Orange Coconut Slices
Lime Butter Cookies
Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Chai Pear Scones
Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies
How to Cook a Fresh Pumpkin
Our favorite cookies are the chocolate chip cookie recipe I got from Consumer Reports. No kidding! They were doing a review of franchise chocolate chip cookies and pointed out that you could do better making your own. They had the toll-house recipe that is on the back of every Nestle’s choc chip bag, only they included details like make sure your eggs are at room temperature and your butter is softened to this consistency. Details like that make all the difference int the world.
I agree, Kathy – those details make a huge difference in just about all baked goods. Thanks for stopping by!
I am a chocolate cookie addict but my absolute favorite cookie is from Momofuku Milk Bar. The corn cookies are just out of this world amazing!
You can count me among your readers who LOVE the new blog & I’m so glad you are doing it. My favorite cookies have got to be my gramma’s raisin cookies. The best ever!
And I’m already getting your newsletter, which I also love!
Great ideas! Thanks!
My favorites are the chocolate chip cookies I baked when I worked for a cookie company. I got the recipe down small enough to be a home recipe. They are fabulous!
Diane – is that on your blog? You are more than welcome to link it here if you like!
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My favorite kind of cookie is lemon shortbread!
Congrats! Blogging is so fun 🙂 I’m a choc chip cookie gal too!
I like the white chocolate chip cherry. So so so good.
I think the best cookie is a snicker doodle. A sugar cookie with cinnamon.
I like Chocolate Chip Cookies best (I love your idea of adding dried cherries, I’m going to try it)
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Oatmeal cookies are my favorite.
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I love mocha moaners — a recipe I found on allrecipes.com!
My favorite cookie is oatmeal raisin 🙂
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If these are half as good as your Cranberry Almond blondies I’m all in! Gave you a “like” on the blog and will follow you on Pinterest.
Funny how cooking and baking evolve over one’s lifetime…I used to make cookies all the time…filled a glass jar on the counter…but the best cookies on the block-and believe me, the kids on our block enjoyed all of them! were
the chocolate chip cookies Connie made..she had one of those powerful mixers and used margarine..who knows? Anyway, as a single lady of a certain age I don’t see myself making cookies anytime until I have some grand kids…although my coworkers would likely be as happy as the kids on the block were so many years ago….
I love cinnamon blondies!
Sugar cookies…plain, simple, and delicious! Love your new blog!
I will support you 100%! Can’t wait to try this…
My Grandma Baker’s sugar cookies were the best. Sadly, we don’t have her recipe…..
I am allergic to chocolate (bummer for a chocoholic) and use carob chips in place of chocolate chips.
Next best thing! My grandkids haven’t noticed.
I have to pick one kind of cookie? I guess Molasses Crinkles no, Chocolate Chip, no its Peanut Butter Blossoms, no! its oh gosh this is just too hard! I’m trying those up there though.
I love chocolate cookie with a Rolo in the middle and chopped walnuts on top. YUMMY
Yum–these sound delicious! I love dried cherries and always wish I remembered to use them more often in my baking.
This might sound boring, but my favorite cookie is good old fashioned chocolate chip. I know it’s standard, but it’s hard to beat!
These look delish! I am thinking maybe dried cranberries instead of cherries.
My favorite cookies are….pb, snickerdoodle, oatmeal, …..any kind…too many to choose!
I already subscribe to your newsletter.
Following you on Pinterest too!
I love your recipes, I’m make these cookies this weekend!!
Congrats on the new blog!
Congrats on the new blog — but truthfully, I’m eyeing on the best ever chocolate chip cookie gooeyness!
Hooray for the new blog! I am loving the coconut and cherries in these cookies. YUM. I love oatmeal raisin cookies and molasses crinkles probably best.. these cookies sound right up my alley, though!
Follow you on Pinterest already! 🙂
Now follow you on Twitter – hadn’t realized I wasn’t!
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My favorite cookie is the one that’s in my hand, but I admit I will choose choc chip if I have a choice.
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I’ve been a follower on pinterest for a while now. 🙂
Last one for me, I think. I’ve been a follower of your blog for a long time, too, and I love your new newsletter! thanks!
My favorite cookies are peanut butter.
Awesome job on your site Donalyn. Chocolate chip cookies with M&M’s are my favorite cookie. One question: How does Larry stay so skinny with you cooking all this awesome stuff?
My favorite cookie is an oatmeal cookie from my grandmother’s recipe…but yours sure looks good!
Liked your FB page. Glad to have found it!
I have subscribed to your newsletter it an awesome site. I have to cut back on carbs and sweet. Eventually I will make cookies again. When my sons were little, I always had two cookie jars full of homemade cookies.
Lori
followed you on twitter…kaypickens on there if you want to follow me back!
Found you on pinterest too. You’ve got some great boards set up there!
Great cookie recipe—like the cherry addition! I’m a snickerdoodle kind of gal!
My favorite cookie is a recipe I got through my Aunt Erna and they have white chocolate, dark chocolate , coconut, pecans & rice crispies. They are chewy but the rice crispies & pecans give it a nice crunch. Have been craving them for a while now but haven’t made them because I eat far too many of them.
Those do look very goooood. I might try them with white chocolate chips also. I think they’d be a hit at work.
My favorite cookies are double chocolate chip.
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Follow u on pinterest. Twitter and facebook. Love chocolate chip cookies!!
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Whew, now to try this delicious looking recipe!! The folks at work will love them I’m sure!!!
Love chocolate chip cookies also love peanut butter. And love your new blog site!
Peanut butter!
Chocolate chip cookies are my favorite, but I am thinking of upgrading to these babies.
I love a great chocolate chip cookie- yours sound divine- thanks Donalyn!