This time of year, cookie recipes and tips are everywhere — in local food sections, morning shows, and countless food blogs. My friend Hermine, my favorite cookie baker, would always say: get in the kitchen and bake. Practice is the best way to learn and improve your baking skills.
Last week eight of us followed Hermine’s advice at the 3rd Annual Hermine Memorial Cookie Exchange. We arrived each carrying a platter with one or two of her holiday cookies and left with a platterful of every variety. The exchange is a joyous way to share recipes, tips, and the results of a few hours of baking.
For easier browsing, you can find my baking and dessert recipes collected in one place on the blog.
My assignments for the night were two of Hermine’s classics: rugelach (we use my family’s recipe she loved) and her Oatmeal Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Below you’ll find the full recipe for those oatmeal-chocolate cookies.
We started the evening with champagne and cosmos, sampled cookies and a few cheeses, then settled down to chili and salad. It was a cozy, comfort-food-filled night — exactly the kind of gathering Hermine would have enjoyed.
At one point we toasted Hermine. Her daughter reminded us how the tradition began with a single cookie jar of chocolate chip cookies and grew into the multi-cookie event Hermine would handle on her own for years. Now it takes a village, and it’s a labor of love we’re proud to continue in her memory.
Baking cookies is a simple and satisfying way to connect with friends and family. A short break with a couple of cookies and a hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa can feel incredibly restorative during a busy holiday season.
Other cookie favorites you might try include My Man cookies, Date and Walnut thumbprints, and Rose Cardamom and Pistachio snowballs.
What is your favorite holiday sweet — to bake or simply to enjoy?
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P.S. If you try the recipe below, please leave a star rating or a review in the comments. Feedback is always appreciated. You can also find more inspiration on social platforms or sign up for the mailing list on the blog.
Hermine’s Oatmeal Bittersweet Chocolate Chunk Cookie
By Beth Lee
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups coarsely chopped toasted walnuts or pecans
- 16 oz (about 2 cups) coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate or good-quality chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until fluffy. You can do this by hand or with a stand mixer.
- Beat in the eggs, baking soda, and the 2 teaspoons of water until incorporated.
- Stir in the flour, oats, toasted nuts, and chopped chocolate. Transfer the dough to a bowl just large enough to hold it, cover, and refrigerate until firm — about 4 hours or overnight. (You can refrigerate for a shorter time if needed, but chilling helps the dough hold together and makes portioning easier.)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (or 325°F for convection). Line two baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment.
- Portion the dough using 1–2 tablespoons per cookie; shape into balls and space them 1½ to 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- Bake 10–12 minutes, until the cookies spring back when very lightly touched. Avoid overbaking to keep them tender and moist.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Allow baking sheets to cool between batches for best results.
Notes
Adapted by Beth Lee from Hermine’s cookie files. The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated, making this a convenient make-ahead cookie for holiday baking or gatherings.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories 271; Carbohydrates 38 g; Protein 4 g; Fat 11 g; Saturated Fat 6 g; Cholesterol 14 mg; Sodium 171 mg; Fiber 1 g; Sugar 23 g.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it turned out!