Steelers "Black & Gold" Cookies - My Secret Recipe

To celebrate the Steelers playing in the Super Bowl this weekend, I decided to make "Black & Gold" Cookies for Chris to take into work.  Thankfully, this recipe makes so many that I have plenty for us to enjoy at home!  Because the recipe is rather long, I decided to break it into steps.  They do require a bit of extra work, but TRUST ME, they are well worth it!!

• Step 1:

2 c. Flour
2 1/4 c. Oatmeal
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt

Blend oatmeal in the blender or food processor for a few minutes - you want to create a coarse powder.  Do not be afraid to over-blend it, the finer the texture, the better.  Mix all above ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to blend well.  Set aside.

• Step 2:

9 oz Block Chocolate, grated (Hershey's bar, Baker's, Ghirardelli, etc)
6 oz Chocolate Chips (I prefer semi-sweet, but your favorite will work)
6 oz M&M's (or another 6 oz of chocolate chips, if you prefer)

Grate your block chocolate using a fine cheese grater.  Measure out all of these ingredients and set them aside.  I used dark brown and golden yellow M&M's to celebrate the occasion - obviously, you can customize these however you'd like.

• Step 3:

2 Sticks (1 c) Butter, room temperature
1 c. Sugar
1 c Brown Sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream butter and sugars together until well blended and creamy.  Slowly add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy - a few minutes at high speed.  Be sure to scrape the bowl periodically so everything gets blended equally.

• Step 4:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until smooth and dough-like.  Mixture will be thick, so I use a paddle attachment for my mixer to do this.  Add in grated chocolate, chocolate chips, and M&Ms.  Stir until well incorporated.  Form into balls and drop onto prepared cookie sheets two inches apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  Do not over bake - they will NOT change color much.  I swap my trays half way through - top to bottom, front to back, just to make sure they all bake evenly.  If you do this, try not to jumble the cookies much and be quick so you don't drop the temperature of your oven.  Cool on wire racks.  Store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!!


* I adapted this recipe from an email I received a few years ago - the original recipe's author is unknown.