I Like to Cook. Sorry if You Don't.: Chocolate Chunk Sunflower Seed Cookies

I've been meaning to get this up and running for awhile and I know you've all been sitting on the edges of your seats waiting for my first post (actually, my inspiration to get started here was an inquiry at dinner tonight, so there is some truth in that!) and here it is! Live, in living color!

That outta the way, let's get down to the good stuff. Chocolate Chunk Sunflower Seed Cookies. Inspired by some left-over Easter candy and my love for sweet and salty snacks, I adapted the oatmeal cookie recipe from Joy of Cooking adding in some chocolate and sunflower seeds to create these little treats.

Soundtrack: Bibio

First step, behead the bunny! If you're like me (which, not enough people are) you've been eating way too much Easter candy lately. Even if you don't celebrate, you know you picked up some peeps half-price a 6 PM on Easter Sunday and you know who you are.

"Don't let them eat me, let them eat chocolate cake instead" "Off with his head!!"

I hope you all picked up on the French Revolution reference (Jean Jags would be proud!). This is where things get graphic. To create chocolate chunks from the beheaded rabbit, I cut him into a few pieces and put him in a nifty little chopper that came with my immersion blender (which, by the way, is currently my favorite kitchen tool. Thanks Adam and Sharon!!). See the mutilated bunny carnage below, if you dare.

This. is. sick. Yet, delicious!

Next step, prepare the oats. I love oatmeal cookies. Some don't (Adam, here's lookin' at you!). So, to make them more "eater-friendly" (if you will), I chop the oats. Again in my handy-dandy immersion blender attatchment:

Oats, reporting for duty and ready to be chopped!

Oats, you guessed it... chopped!

These preparatory steps are optional, but I do suggest them!

The resulting cookie wasn't exactly as I had planned. Crunchy and a bit granola-esque, the texture is my favorite part. When doing this again, I will definitely use a dark chocolate and throw in a bit more. In baking, one should really use an unsweeted or semi-sweet chocolate; the taste is much more evident.

The recipe that I used is as follows! I cut the Joy of Cooking recipe in half (because I don't really think I need 48 cookies).

Ingredients:

3/4 plus 1/8 c. flour (again, original recipe cut in half, sorry for all the irregular measures!)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. unsalted butter

1/8 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 c. rolled oats

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

1 chocolate easter bunny! (or something more appropriate, like semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks!)

Preheat oven to 350. I like to put the butter on the oven while it warms, to soften. Genius; I know! Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a larger bowl, cream (that means beat them with an electric mixer!) the egg, butter, sugars and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the oats. Add the chocolate and sunflower seeds. Rolls the dough into 1 1/2 in. balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten. Bake for 12-14 min or until lightly browned all over. Place on a rack to cool!