Chocolate oat cookies!! :)

As you all know I am somewhat partial to the odd oaty cookie with my hot choc...but of course I am equally a fan of the classic chocolate chip cookie with its thick studs of plain, milk or white chocolate, and the chewy, scrumptiously sweet cookie dough. And so, on this wet, windy March day here in Ireland, I had plenty of time to bbe as experimental with my baking as I liked, and so my mission hereby was, of course, to see if i could unite both oaty and chocolate chip cookie in one delightful little biccie. The resulting cookies still had the pleasing crunchiness of my favourite oaty treats, but were made ever the more irresistible by the addition of an assortment of chocolate chips., and the flavouring of the cookie dough itself with just a wee bit of melted dark choc... ;)

And need I mention these little bites accompany tea/coffee/hot choc ;) all too well??? <3 xxxx

Ingredients (for about 20 yummy cookies! :) <3

• 75 g plain chocolate
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 125 g butter, softened
• 125 g light muscovado sugar
• 100 g porridge oats
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 125 g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 250 g plain chocolate, chopped into small chunks or chips.

Method :)

• Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan. Line two or three baking trays with baking paper. 
• Soften the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until very soft. Tip in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• In a jug, beat the egg lightly with a fork. Add  the vanilla to the egg and mix well.
• Gradually, bit by little bit, add the beaten egg into the creamed mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl every now and again, until it is all nicely incorporated.
• Place the 75 g plain chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat once melted and let it cool for a few minutes. 
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Gently fold this into the creamed mixture along with the oats and melted chocolate. Use a large metal spoon to do this, twirling it up, across and down through the cookie dough in a figure-or-eight pattern. Finally, mix in the chocolate chunks or chips.
• Now you need to transfer balls of the cookie dough to the prepared trays. Scoop up a dessertspoonful of cookie dough and place on a tray, shaping it into a rough ball shape using your fingers or the spoon. Repeat with the rest of the cookie dough until it is all used up. Make sure the balls are spaced well apart to allow room for spreading.
• Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes.  They should still be slightly soft, not hard. 
• Leave them on the trays for about 5 minutes once you've removed them from the oven, and then carefully transfer them to a wire rack with a metal spatula. And of course, any remaining cookies (if any!!! ;) can be stored in an airtight tin for up to a week. :) xxxx