The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

So...I have been following a gluten-free diet for over 2 years now. However, there was a time that I did eat gluten. During that time, I filled every second of my free time baking. One recipe that was always a favorite among my friends was my homemade chocolate chip cookies.
Recently, I was out of town and received a phone call from my roommate/best friend. She painted a picture of her scenario to me, and the conversation went something like this..."You are out of town, which means I have to entertain myself. Work was overwhelming and I've already had a mojito. In order to completely enjoy my girls night in, I need to watch Sleepless in Seattle and bake cookies. My plan was going very well, until I couldn't find your cookie recipe. So now I must know where you are hiding it!" In order to avoid another such scenario, I've decided to share that recipe to make it more accessible. I hope you enjoy it!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Yields approximately 40 small cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal, blended
• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 oz. chocolate chips, I prefer Ghiradelli or Guittard
• 4 oz grated chocolate, can be milk or dark*
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional), I prefer walnuts

Instructions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
2. Measure the oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
3. Mix the oatmeal, flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl. 
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
5. Add the eggs, beating after each addition, and the vanilla. 
6. Add the oatmeal mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. 
7. Stir in the chocolate chips, grated chocolate, and nuts if you are using them, with a wooden spoon. The dough gets pretty thick.
8. Wet your hands and roll dough into golf-ball sized balls. Arrange on the cookie sheets 2 inches apart. 
9. Bake one sheet at a time for 5 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes. This allows for even browning, and avoids burning the cookies. 
10. Remove promptly from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on wire racks.
11. Repeat the process of baking one sheet at a time until all cookies have been baked. 

Notes 
*I like to freeze Hershey bars and grate them in a food processor to a fine powder, keeping the powder in the freezer until I need it. This allows you to add the chocolate to the cookie dough without it melting, resulting in small flecks of ground chocolate in the dough.