The other night my friend Robert made these fabulous cookies. I am going to go ahead and make the bold statement that they are now my favorite kind of cookie, officially. I actually don't even generally gravitate towards sweets much at all, but when these are in the room I find them very hard to resist. I think it's because they have a ton of butter in them, and also because they are a little bit salty and sweet, and because they have that perfect chewy soft texture going on. Strangely, they have stuff in them that I don't even like- I am not a fan of walnuts in a cookie at all, unless they're ground up, and I am usually not so interested in coconut or dates in the cookie setting either. Yet somehow they come together in a magical synergistic explosion of deliciousness.




Robert got the recipe from his mother so props go out to Senora Perez, as well as Robert himself who sacrificed a whole night last week to help me make tons and tons of these and other cookies for my holiday party. So I have a lot of love for the whole Perez familia right now!


Robert's Chewy Amazing Oatmeal Date Cookies
This is a huge recipe, it makes a LOT of cookies. Don't even think about doubling it, 2 batches won't fit in your mixer.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups oatmeal (not quick oats)
• 1 cup of dates, chopped into raisin-sized morsels
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup coconut

Method:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Cream butter and sugars in a mixer. Add egg and vanilla.
• Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix with the butter mixture just until combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine oatmeal, dates, walnuts, and coconut. Stir together and add to dough.
• Spoon large tablespoon portions onto baking sheet. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 4-5 minutes after removing from oven.
• These are very moist so will keep for a couple of days, and still be soft and chewy if you put them in an airtight container.

UPDATE: click here to see this recipe updated with whole wheat flour and agave nectar.