The Bird Man Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:

  • 1-1/2 cups softened organic un-salted butter 
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar
  • 4 eggs (farm fresh is way better!!)
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons real organic Vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed organic Lemon Juice
  • 3 cups organic All Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup organic Rolled Oats (don't use quick oats!)
  • 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon organic ground Cinnamon (add up to a 1/2 teaspoon if you love cinnamon like I do!)
  • 1 teaspoon organic fresh grated Nutmeg (buy whole nuts and grate yourself)
  • 3 cups Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1-1/2 cups rough chopped organic Walnuts
Before I get into the details let me say that using organic ingredients truly makes a huge difference in the taste and texture of these incredible cookies.  I guarantee if you follow this recipe using all the ingredients I suggest you will "WOW" everyone.  Don't skip a step or use something else and especially don't try cooking these cookies directly on a cookie sheet without parchment paper.  Also using fresh grated Nutmeg is a must! 
 
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Line baking sheets (I use two of them) with parchment paper.  Place the softened butter in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer.  Add the sugars and beat on medium speed for about two minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  After last egg is added beat on high speed for one minute.  Add vanilla and lemon juice and beat well, about 30 seconds. 
 
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
 
Add dry ingredients to the creamed butter mixture and stir well to blend.  Add chocolate chips and walnuts.  Stir to combine.  NOTE:  Don't add chocolate chips & walnuts until you have the flour and butter mixture combined well enough so you can't see any dry flour otherwise the nuts will capture pockets of dry flour.
 
Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup or a 2 ounce ice cream scoop, drop the batter on the parchment-lined cookie sheet leaving 2-3 inches between each cookie.  On a standard size cookie sheet you should only be able to cook six cookies at a time.  That's right, only six so don't try to fit more on a sheet!!!
 
Bake 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges, but the middle of the cookies should appear to be uncooked or whitish.  DON'T over cook!!!  This is where most people go wrong as they cook them to much.  I have never cooked them past 13 minutes.  The darker your pans are the less time it seems to take to get them cooked through.  Remember, the centers of the cookies should look white.  I suggest you take them out, no matter what, at 13 minutes.  They will continue to cook for a few minutes even after removed from the cookie sheet.
 
After 13 minutes immediately remove them from the parchment and cool on wire racks.  Put your 2nd pan in for 13 minutes.  Wait about 10 minutes to allow the first pan to cool down before loading it up again with 1/4 cup cookies on the same parchment paper (no need to replace it).
 

Enjoy! I love taking a couple of these cookies out on the deck with a cup of cappuccino to sit and listen to the birds. We have about eighteen feeders, a couple of birdbaths, and a fountain so the bird activity is incredible. We see many birds including the Western Bluebird, Towhee, Violet-green and Tree Swallows, Western Scrub-Jay, Blue jay, Steller's Jay, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Nuthatch, Chickadee, and many other birds in large numbers.  To plan, design, and install your perfect birding area please Contact The Bird Man.