Everyday Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

What's Going on Today: Fun morning at the playground and beach, easy picnic lunch outdoors.

Naptime Goals: Make Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies just because, marinate chicken, laundry, vacuum sand out of the car (!)

Tonight's Menu: Rosemary Lemon Chicken, Carrot Souffle, Arugula Salad.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: You can never have too many stain sticks.

Since I firmly believe that sweets should be homemade rather than store-bought, I always try and dedicate at least one naptime a week to baking simple treats that are perfect for munching on all week long.

I am hardly ever at a loss of baking inspiration given the number of cookbooks on my shelf and magazines I subscribe to. My most recent source of information has come from the awesome SoNo Baking Company & Cafe Cookbook.  I think part of the reason I love it so much is that I practically live around the corner from the actual cafe and secretly aspire to recreate their wall of baked goods in my own home. But, since that would require hours, even days, of labor, I bake from the book when I want and swing by to glimpse the real thing on a regular basis.

I've made at least two dozen recipes from the book so far and they have all been scrumptious. In fact, this cookie recipe is so totally awesome that I've made it almost a dozen times on it's own. It has already made the transition from "good new recipe" to "old favorite" in my household which, trust me, is not an easy road. I am a bit of a cookie snob and many, many recipes have been cast by the wayside. What I love about this cookie is that it's perfectly moist, much more so then many chocolate chip cookie recipes I bake, with a great balance of coconut and chocolate flavors. I also love how the added oatmeal creates a firm, chewy texture which I find appealing.

The other day I whipped these up during naptime after I'd set the chicken in to marinade for dinner. Baking them was easy and they were cooling by the time my daughter woke up. That evening we experimented with ice-cream and unanimously agreed that, in addition to being great on their own, they are perfect bookends for an ice-cream cookie sandwich. Over the course of the next three days we whipped through our tupperware container all too quickly and were sad to reach the bottom. I think this evening I'll set out the butter to warm up for another batch.

Chocolate Chip Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from SoNo Baking Company & Cafe Cookbook

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 t. Kosher salt

2 large eggs

1 T. vanilla extract

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. sweetened shredded coconut

1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside.

3. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugars and salt until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time until just blended. Add in vanilla and mix until it is no longer visible.

4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour until just incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the coconut, chocolate chips and oats one at a time.

5. Use a 2" ice-cream scoop to place the dough, 2 inches apart, on the baking sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until cookies are set and the edges are golden brown.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas: I love to make these into ice-cream cookie sandwiches and roll the sides in sprinkles, this is a great cookie for that. If you want to change up the flavor try substituting craisins or dried currants for the chocolate chips.

Naptime Stopwatch: Making the batter takes 10 minutes. Baking time is about 30 minutes for the whole batch.

Naptime Reviews: We are a household of cookie lovers, you'd better believe we all gobbled these right down!