Ultimate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

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• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces chocolate, grated (optional)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
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• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Measure oats into a blender or food processor, and then mix until fine or at desired texture. Set aside.
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• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir dry ingredients into wet mixture. Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts.
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• Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven. Let sit on cookie sheet one minute before moving to cooling rack.
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• Note: For crispier more evenly shaped cookies, flatten the balls into circles prior to baking.
• Recipe makes 2 dozen cookies.
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Ginger cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses

2 large egg whites

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Garnish:

1/2 cup granulated white sugar, for covering the cookie balls before baking.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg whites, and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. 
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until well combined. Cover the batter with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about at least an hour, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

Place 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar in a medium sized bowl. 
When the dough has chilled, roll into 1 inch balls. Then roll the balls of dough into the sugar, coating them thoroughly. Place on the baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart and with the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are firm but are still a little soft in the centers. (The longer the cookies bake, the more crisp they will be.) Cool on a wire rack. 

Note: This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies. Simply halve the recipe for 2 dozen.