Chunky Lola Cookies

I was trying to think of a creative title to this post, but realized the name itself was unique and interesting enough. The Chunky Lola Cookie, which hails from Flour Bakery + Café in Boston, is basically a kitchen-sink cookie. The base is a chewy and crisp oatmeal cookie mixed with chopped pecans, bittersweet chocolate chunks, and coconut. You could certainly add whatever add-ins you wanted as that's the idea behind this cookie and how it came to be.

As I've mentioned in a previous post, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are at the top of my cookie list. However, I don't make them very often since I'm always trying new cookie recipes and for a long time, was on a quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. I've since found it, but inevitably will continue to try out new recipes. Even when I would make chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in the past, I didn't usually use the same recipe twice. In my years of making my favorite cookie, I haven't yet come across what I would consider a perfect chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. Many of them have been good, but not quite perfect. However, I recently decided to try these Chunky Lola Cookies from Flour by Joanne Chang and they turned out pretty perfect.

The addition of chopped pecans to chocolate and oatmeal sounded like a sure winner and I liked that the recipe called for an overnight resting period before baking. Many of the cookie recipes in Flour are made the same way and it certainly made for fantastic chocolate chip cookies, so I thought I would give these a try. I made the cookies a bit larger than called for which resulted in a larger chewy center. If you want them more crisp, just make smaller mounds on the baking sheet. I didn't have any coconut on hand, so I left it out, but really this recipe would work with any add-ins you wanted.

These cookies turned out perfectly crisp, chewy, and were still delicious several days after. They're best when completely cooled, though they're still perfectly delicious, soft, and warm fresh from the oven. Surprisingly, they weren't too sweet at all which is often the case if you want chewy and crispy cookies. Everyone in my family thought they were great and I'm happy to have found a chocolate chunk oatmeal cookie that I think will be revisited many times in the future.

Chunky Lola Cookies
Recipe from Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe by Joanne Chang
Makes about 18 cookies

1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp.(1 3/8 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2/3 cup (140 g) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (175 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (70 g) rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt or 1/4 tsp fine salt
9 ounces (255 g) bittersweet chocolate chunks, 62-70% cacao
1 1/4 cups (125 g) pecan halves, toasted, chopped
1 cup (120 g) sweetened shredded coconut

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand mixer or wooden spoon, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed for 5 minutes. If done by hand, it will take about 10 minutes. Occasionally scrape down the paddle, sides, and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs and vanilla for 3 minutes until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the chocolate, pecans, and coconut and mix until combined. On low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture slowly and mix until completely incorporated. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 deg F and position a rack in the center. Drop dough in 1/4 cup balls (I made 2 oz balls) onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Space them about 2 inch apart and flatten slightly.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until the cookies are golden brown around the edges and slightly soft in the center. Let the sheet of cookies cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes until they can be transferred to the wire rack to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days.