Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I made these cookies to add to the gift packages that I sent to my prego friends, mom, and best bud last week.  I wanted to do something similar to my Chewiest Oatmeal Butterscotchies with Sea Salt but I didn't have any butterscotch chips.  I did happen to have a bag of dark chocolate chips and I am always looking for new ways to incorporate coconut into any and everything. I've done it again here by adding a whole bag of coconut flakes to an already jam packed cookie. That makes these guys super coco-nutty and I love it.  I also think that the dark chocolate chips play well with the coconut so that you get a good balance of sweet and the oats bring heartiness.  Also, oatmeal is so good for us so these cookies practically a diet food (Disclaimer:  Eating these cookies will not, contrary to what I just implied,  help you lose weight).  I really liked them in all of their coconutty glory, but if you want to tone down that aspect, you could add half the bag with no ill effects.

Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 bag coconut flakes
1 cup semi-sweet, dark chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. The ingredients really should be a room temperature so that they incorporate with each other. The cookies will be better if you let the butter and eggs sit out to room temperature before baking.
2. Add eggs slowly and continue to beat to maintain lightness.
3. Turn down the mixer speed and add vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour on lowest speed.
4. Add the oats, coconut, and chips and mix until just incorporated.

5. Scoop the cookies out onto a lined baking sheet.  Then place the whole sheet in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. This step is optional, but it makes the cookies come up very moist and chewy, which I love.

6.  Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes until they are slightly crisp on the edges and soft toward the middle. You want to take them out a little bit before you think they are totally done because they continue to cook when you take them out of the oven.

7. Cool on completely on cooling racks. They will store in an airtight container until you are ready to chow down.

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