Espresso Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
It’s fall and that means it’s time for a hearty cookie. That doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice taste. These espresso dark chocolate oatmeal cookies have brewed espresso, ground espresso, pools of dark chocolate, browned butter, and finally toasted oats. This gives them a rich deep dark flavor. The browned butter and toasted oats nicely compliment each other the same way the espresso and dark chocolate compliment each other.
Each cookie is a bit of its own surprise. Some have more punches of espresso while others are more deeply chocolate-y. The Witch says they’re link a beautiful autumn tree where each leaf is different than the others. With a half cup more of flour than I would normally add they have the perfect level of chew. They’re not the surprisingly chewy oatmeal cookie of your past, nor are they hockey pucks either. The edges are just crisp enough to balance out the light chew. The only way I can think to make them any better would be with a glass of milk. There is one other way they might be improved, but I didn’t know it was a possibility until I’d already made these. Endangered Species makes an oatmilk dark chocolate bar. I’ve taken a bit of a liking to oatmilk. I think it could completely round these out. Two bars of dark chocolate chopped in different ways really lend well to pools of chocolate and hints of chocolate. The larger chunks melt into swimming pools and the chopped smaller bits hide and blend with the espresso becoming rich hidden treats.
This recipe was a chance for me to expand on my original first try at recipe development. I took some of the things I learned there and added some tricks I’ve learned since starting this blog. There’s the added richness of the browned butter and the toasted flavor of the oats. Two “simple” tweaks to normal ingredients to enhance their flavors. This was only me second or third time ever browning butter. It’s a bit difficult to tell how browned it is when using a dark colored pan. It can hide the true depth of color. Since butter goes from browned to burned very quickly I’m sure I could have left it a bit longer. I feel the same way about the oats. Toasting them adds a certain something to the cookies.
If you couldn’t tell, based on the pictures or words above, it’s fall. That means it’s time for collaboration time. The Witch and I have joined forces the past few weeks to give you additional info in these recipes. This week I chose to use “The Earthbound Oracle” deck to join this recipe. We got this deck in Seattle, well it was actually in Bainbridge, WA. The Witch will take it from here.
Oracle, in Greek-Roman history, is a person or object that gives a prediction or reveals knowledge from a divine source.
Oracle Vs. Tarot I’m gonna keep this little break down short & savory! So Oracle & Tarot decks are similar yet they are so different .One main thing that they do have in common is they are tools for divination. Think of Oracle cards as the book, or the chapters in a book, and Tarot cards are the details in the book/chapters. They talk about the story. Oracle decks tend to be more free flowing. They don’t typically have a set amount of cards like Tarot Decks. Tarot is traditionally more structured, and it’s also typically made up of 78 cards that break into Minor and Major Arcana. Oracle cards don’t have the same structure. They can range anywhere from 12-100 cards. Typically they have a small prompt under the photo to help you navigate through for an answer. These decks tend to help encourage and rely on your intuition more. There is no wrong way to use oracle cards. You can use them for self introspection/inspiration, or if you’re someone who reads Tarot, you can use them in tandem to help navigate or evaluate a theme in a reading.
What is Resistance? It’s the refusal to accept or comply with something.
I of course was like pfft! What resistance?.. (my ego definitely inserted itself.) Partially why I’ve had a hard time with Oracle is cause I'm so used to Tarot. It gives me the meat of the story, and sometimes that means it hands me my ass on a platter. Oracle does that in a much softer form for me personally. I was at work trying to understand what this card meant and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Sometimes resistance isn’t always about what’s internal . Sometimes it shows up in external situations. I had been grieving for weeks about a past miscarriage and also friendships that were falling apart. Well where’s the resistance you say? The resistance was in me, fighting the urge to say yes and self sacrifice my energy to make others happy. I’ve been dealing with a lot of resistance to setting up boundaries with people I know. I feel the guilt from myself and from others. Some of it is from childhood trauma, but some of it is the disappointment I can feel off of people when they speak. whether they realize they are emitting it in how they respond.
One of my many gifts in this life is being an intuitive empathetic. I can feel too much of others, and not enough of me in certain situations. It’s a blessing. Sometimes it’s hard to navigate. I sacrifice me for others a lot. That’s not healthy. Boundaries have been the biggest lesson of covid for me. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to change your mind. The other person may be willing and understanding. Maybe they will even try to process it with you, but maybe they will shut down.
In this paradigm we are all going through SO much internal work. It’s HARD AS HELL to navigate. No one has it perfect. What I have learned is to really have compassion, patience, and understanding while not sacrificing yourself. Being aware of how to spend and give your energy is hard. It’s currency. It’s transactional. It can make or break you if your not careful, so be kind to yourself. Ask for help or the space if you need it.
In the card, if you look carefully, the rock is dealing with some serious current, but it also has new life propagating on the rock. So where are you fighting resistance? Is it external or internal? What areas is it forcing you to grow from?
Ingredients
1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (browned)
1 Cup dark brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
2 shots of fresh brewed espresso
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons of ground espresso
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
3 cups of oats (toasted)
2 3.4 oz 70% dark chocolate bars chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees *note this will change later
Spread out the oats on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes stirring half way
Brown the butter by melting it and then slowly heating it, over low heat, until it’s brown. It may be hard to see as it will foam. It should start to smell nutty. Careful as it can turn from browned to burned fairly quickly. Set aside to cool for a few minutes
Rough chop the chocolate to the desired sizes.
Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees
Mix the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until combined. Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer
Add the eggs one at a time
Mix in the vanilla
Mix in the brewed espresso
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground espresso
Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture in two batches (make sure you scrape down the sides
Add the oats and mix on medium low
Add the chopped chocolate and mix until just incorporated
Scoop in 2 1/2 Tablespoon sizes onto an ungreased baking sheet
Bake at 375 for 11 minutes
Let cool on the pan for 2-3 minutes and then move to a cooling rack
Make your favorite coffee drink and enjoy the melted pools of chocolate
