Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Merry Christmas! It's a white Christmas here in Minneapolis, 2.3 inches of snow and counting. We might just stay in today...
Sadly, our new old house [have I mentioned that the house is over a hundred years old? It was built in 1910, so even though the insides are newly renovated, it's still an old house] does not have a fireplace. Today is just one of those days where I can imagine being curled up in front of the fireplace, sipping on a warm mug of hot chocolate [or eggnog] and watching the yule log. We'll just have to settle for watching the Yule Log on the telly, just like the people in New York City.

Holidays are the perfect excuse for excess without guilt... here's a delicious recipe for salted oatmeal white chocolate cookies, crisp at the edges, chewy in the middle. And these cookies are mostly oatmeal, so at least you can convince yourself that they are "healthy". Jamie dislikes raisins, an ingredient that seems to be the default accompaniment to oatmeal when it comes to cookies, so this cookie is perfect for the raisin-haters out there.

A note on the white chocolate, Deb from Smitten Kitchen rightly points out, that those white chocolate chips commonly available almost always contain artificial flavor. So don't skimp, spend a few more bucks to get the real, good quality stuff, I used Ghirardelli's Classic White Chocolate Baking Bar for my cookies.

Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who in turn adapted the recipe from Cook's Illustrated

1       cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4    teaspoon baking powder
1/2    teaspoon baking soda
1/4    teaspoon table salt
14     tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1       cup sugar
1/4    cup packed light brown sugar
1       large egg
1       teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
6       ounces good quality white chocolate bar, chopped
Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top [such as Maldon]

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt; set aside.
4. Using a mixer on high speed, beat softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
5. Scrape the bowl down with a rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully incorporated. 
6. Scrape the bowl down again, reduce mixer speed to low, and add in the flour mixture gradually and mix until just combined and smooth. 
7. Gradually add in the oats and white chocolate and mix until fully incorporated. 
8. Divide dough into 24 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each, and roll into balls using palms. Place dough balls onto lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 1/2 inches apart, 12 per baking sheet. Using fingertips or palm, press down each ball to about 3/4-inch thickness.
9. Sprinkle 3 to 5 flakes of sea salt on top of each cookie.
10. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 13 to 16 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through. Err on the side of a shorter baking time, this will ensure cookies stay chewy in the middle. Unless you like your cookies crunchy, then bake for the full time. 
11. Transfer cookies onto wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Peace, Love and Cookies... Hope your holiday's sweet. With love, Jamie + Daphne