This is a fast and easy way to turn an ordinary oatmeal cookie into an extraordinary, elegant and totally yummy treat. For you chocolate lovers, this one will make your heart go pitter patter. The combination of the nutty crunch of the cookie and the smooth, rich chocolate is hard to beat.
Although, I must admit that I would probably like cardboard dipped in chocolate.
When I make these oatmeal cookies, I only dip half of the batch in chocolate. If you've read my previous posts about King-Man, it won't surprise you to learn that he prefers his oatmeal cookies plain. He's the one who only likes vanilla ice cream. Do you see a pattern forming here? I like my oatmeal cookies (and cardboard) dipped in chocolate. It's easy to have them both ways to satisfy our conflicting taste buds and foster marital harmony.
The first time I tried dipping these oatmeal cookies in chocolate, I took them to a picnic with friends in front of the St. Louis Arch. It was 4th of July weekend and we were there for a Sheryl Crow concert. (Sheryl is a local Missouri girl, so we consider her one of our own.) It was a typical steamy summer day in St. Louis, and the chocolate on the cookies became a melty mess the second I pulled them out of the cooler. But, that didn't deter our group from eating them with zest. Everyone had melted chocolate all over their hands and faces. So, maybe these aren't the best picnic food on a hot summer day; although none of my chocolaty-faced friends were complaining at our 4th of July picnic.
Here's how to make a batch of your own:
You need to start with good oatmeal cookies. I've got that recipe for you in my post, Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies. So, first make a batch of these.
View Thin and Crispy Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Here are the simple ingredients you need to assemble for making 2-3 dozen Chocolate Dipped Oatmeal Cookies:
*One bag of melted chocolate chips is enough for dipping approx. 15 cookies. You may or may not need 2 bags of chips depending on how many cookies you'll be dipping. If you'll be using more than 1 bag of chocolate chips, it is best to melt one bag at a time, dip your cookies, and then repeat with the second bag of chips and cookies. This way the chocolate won't re-harden before all of the cookies are dipped.
Here are the step-by-step photos for my Chocolate-Dipped Oatmeal Cookies.
Do you see that white film on my chocolate chips? I was a little freaked out when I opened that newly purchased bag. The freshness date on them didn't expire for a year, but they looked old to me. So, I checked with Hershey's, since they should know a thing or two about chocolate.
According to Hershey's: "Bloom, the gray-white film that sometimes appears on chocolate chips, occurs when chocolate is exposed to varying temperatures. It does not affect the taste or quality of the chocolate."
Whew! So I could proceed with melting my chocolate chips. And, sure enough they melted perfectly and tasted great. Back to the directions.
Put the bowl in the microwave, heat on high until chocolate chips are melted, stopping at 30 second intervals to stir and see if the chips melt completely as they are stirred. Microwave power and times vary, it took approx. 1 minute in mine. Be careful not to overcook the chips--heat them until there are still some chunks remaining. Stir the final chunks in until completely melted.
Dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper.
Continue until all of your cookies are dipped. Leave them on the baking sheet until the chocolate has hardened. You can put them in the fridge to speed up the hardening if you want to.
Store them in an airtight container. If your house is warm, it's best to store them in the fridge.
Now enjoy the chocolaty crunchy goodness of these delectable treats!
If you make these cookies, I know you'll have a yummy day!
Read this post to learn how to make a gift bag with these cookies:
Say "Thanks" With A Cookie Gift Bag