Dani made me

The title of this post is a phrase I often employ. In this instance, it has a double reference - firstly, yes, Dani made me create this web-based outlet for my food/writing obsession. Secondly - cookies. She made me. To be fair, I was the one who ultimately made the suggestion to make peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies yesterday afternoon, but I would never have actually done it if she hadn't made the proposal earlier in the week, and vehemently affirmed that we should make them following my mere passing idea. Honestly, when do I NOT inquire whether or not we should make cookies? I do not recall such a day. It is her generally well completed job to assure me that no, we should not make cookies. But yesterday she failed me. Needless to say, the most excellent, chewy, borderline painfully sweet cookies were produced yesterday afternoon in my (by my I mean my father's) kitchen.
Here's how:

* 2 sticks of butter. Room temp. If you don't have a microwave or patience (I possess neither), I find holding the sticks of butter just above a low flame on the stove for about a minute, or until your fingers can't take it anymore (what, I never said the process would be safe).
* 1 cup brown suger
* 1/2 cup white sugar. Dani pointed out that most chocolate chip cookie recipes call for 3/4 cups of each kind of sugar. This is incorrect.
* 2 eggs. The bigger the better.
* 2 tsp vanilla. The more the merrier.
* 2 cups all purpose flour. For puffier, less chewy and delicious cookies you can add another 1/4 cup or so of flour.
* 2 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 cup (or just over) rolled oats
* peanut butter. I never really measure in this step. I would say we added about 1/3 of a jar into this batch and it could have easily handled more.
* 1 bag chocolate chips. I say a whole bag because either a whole bag will go in and the cookies will be extra chocolate chippy and divine, or, more likely, some will be lost to the people helping you bake who insist on feasting upon the plain chips rather than patiently waiting for the cookies to come out but I won't mention any names.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.

Beat up the butter. Seriously, do this first to ensure that creaming the butter and sugar together is not a traumatizing experience. You can either use an electric apparatus or wooden spoon (the latter is far more gangster). Mix butter until it is soft and fluffy, then add both sugars and cream them together until extra soft and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

If you like to use more bowls then necessary, or have a pesky friend who insists of having a task to do, you are free to mix the dry ingredients separately. However, it is completely unnecessary. You can instead simply add the flour, baking soda and salt to the mixture and combine. Try to avoid getting to excited and coating your counter, your baking assistant, and yourself in flour. It happens, though.

Once the dough is dough-like, add the oats and combine. Then, the pb. Again, be free in this step. Finally, pour in all the chocolate chips, and give the whole thing one final, all encompassing stir.

Shaping and sizing the cookies is another step in which I will give full discretion to the reader. This is a very important decision, as some will only eat tiny, lame cookies, and others much prefer I cookie that, once devoured, actually allows you to feel like you have eaten something delicious and gained a few pounds. Either way is fine. Place the balls of dough, big or small, on a cookie sheet (there should be enough for about 4 sheets total, accounting for dough consumption). Put the sheet(s) in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on how well done or practically raw and mind blowing you like your cookies.

Yum.