Coconut and Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Friday nights aren’t what they used to be at my house.  For a while, Friday night was date night, and my hubby and I would go out for cocktails and dinner on Friday nights.  But, as you might imagine, we don’t go out nearly as much as we used to these days. Ok, we don’t go out ever. (I’m still working on the whole parting with the baby thing.)

Instead, we have settled into a new routine of having homemade pizza and cookies on Friday nights. It was never a conscious decision, but something that just kind of happened over time. I mix it up a bit with different kinds of cookies and a variety of pizza crusts and toppings. But, every week, we look forward to our little Friday night celebration at home. Oh, and did I mention there’s wine? What good is pizza night without wine?

A week or two ago, I decided to try a new cookie recipe for Friday night.  I started out making oatmeal raisin cookies, but as I was going through the pantry I found some coconut.  Since I stockpile bittersweet chocolate chips, I had a bag of those, as well.  So, I decided to skip the raisins and the usual oatmeal cookie spices for a bit of a new twist on my favorite chewy oatmeal cookies.

Of course, because I had just made a large batch of pizza dough, I was running low on all purpose flour.  No problem! I had bread flour and whole wheat flour in the pantry, so I decided to use a mix of the two. It worked out beautifully, yielding a hearty oatmeal cookie that was still nice and chewy. Oh, and the coconut and dark chocolate? I couldn’t get enough.

These cookies are definitely going to be a permanent fixture in my Friday night rotation. I mix up the dough the night before and let them hang out in the fridge overnight. It makes pizza and cookie night even easier and I think it makes the cookies extra delicious!

Coconut and Dark Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen large cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 – 10 ounce package bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition to make sure the eggs are fully incorporated into the creamed mixture. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, bread flour, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, mixing on the lowest setting (or you can do this by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula). Stir in the rolled oats, chocolate chips, and coconut.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment or silicone liners and scoop the cookie dough out using a 1/4 scoop.  Press down lightly on each cookie to flatten it just a bit.

Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centers are just set. Cool the cookies on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.