chunky chocolate pecan salty oat cookie

Oatmeal cookies tend to get a bad rep. They always seem to be the last ones left on cookie platters (after chocolate chip, sugar, snickerdoodles etc.). But these are different. These are salty oat cookies. Even those of you who cringe at the thought of an oatmeal raisin cookie will fall in love with these salty-sweet bundles of buttery, oat-y goodness.

A true D.C. specialty, the salty-oat was made famous at one of my favorite D.C. restaurants, Teaism. They sell three varieties: salty oat, chocolate oat, and my personal favorite, chunky chocolate pecan.
Don’t get me wrong, I love their variety (it is the original after all…), but nothing beats whipping these babies up at home. (Plus one cute little cellophane-wrapped pack of six will cost you $12!)

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill oatmeal cookie coated in sea salt. These chubby little mounds are chewy, oat-y, and delicious. The sweet warm spices of oatmeal, buttery pecan pieces, and dark chocolate chunks are accented by the occasional bite of a salt crystal. Undoubtedly a unique cookie — but it captures that salty-sweet experience that you find in a chocolate covered pretzel. Once you sink your teeth into a salty oat, its hard to go back to regular, unsalted oatmeal cookies. So preheat your oven, get a cold glass of milk ready, and savor these “subtley sweet, curiously salty’ cookies.
 Are there any cookie recipes unique to your region?
 With love,
Erica

ingredients
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 cups rolled organic oats
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Coarse sea salt (I used pink Himalayan salt)

Start off by whipping cold chunks of butter in a stand mixer for a minute or two. Next, add both sugars the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice. Mix at a medium speed till the mixture has a crumbly texture. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
With the mixer on a low speed, slowly add flour. Be careful not to overmix at this point or your cookies will get tough.
Gently fold in the oats, dark chocolate and pecans. Place the dough in an airtight container and chill for at least an hour
When you are ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on the dough about 2 inches apart and lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake on the second rack from the top for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown but the cookies are still soft to the touch. Transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy with a nice tall glass of milk 🙂