The sweet little girl I watch loves to ask me when I’ll have babies so she can babysit them. I can empathize because I’ve been waiting for my favorite childhood sitter to reproduce for what seems like ages. She has such a nurturing, motherly disposition that she deserved only the most adorable little bundle of joy out there. Her little baby boy was born one month ago, and after finally meeting him two days ago, I can say that he seems to be just that. (Okay, actually, he was sleeping at the time, but I do get to play with him later in the story and make that judgement with more accuracy…)

Since this particularly amazing former sitter happens to be visiting my hometown this month, and seeing as I am currently only partially employed (please hire me!), I gladly offered my nanny services should the need arise. Imagine my surprise and delight when I received a voicemail asking not for childcare, but for cookies!

Oatmeal, it turns out, is particularly good for mothers who breast feed because it improves lactation. That aside, they are also mouthwateringly delicious. I don’t even like white chocolate much (too sweet for me) but was forced to call that distaste into question the minute I sunk my teeth into one of these warm, chewy and crispy cookies. A little bit of salt sprinkled on top of each cookie balances the sweetness of the white chocolate, which, by the way, I’ve discovered is less sweet and more flavorful if you invest in the good stuff. 

I delivered the cookies and finally got to hold and play with the baby (who actually was just as sweet as I proclaimed at the beginning of this post), and later received a text message follow-up. Let me just say that the words “best oatmeal cookie” were used. 

Sweet and Salty White Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1-3/4 sticks of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups old fashioned oats
• 7 ounces white chocolate (2 high-quality white chocolate bars)
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1. Remove the butter from the fridge and allow to soften a bit (time will vary depending on the heat of your kitchen) or remove directly before beginning, unwrap and place on a plate to microwave for 15 seconds. It doesn’t need to be very soft, and if it melts your cookies won’t hold their shape, so be careful not to overdo it. Set aside. Coarsely chop the chocolate bars and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2 very large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl (preferably the bowl of an electric mixer), beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add the oats and chocolate chunks and stir until just combined.

4. Roll the dough between clean hands to form balls about 1-1/2 inches in diameter (the recipe should make about 2 dozen cookies). Place evenly on the baking sheets. (Be careful if your baking sheets are not very large - I wish I had baked only 6 cookies per sheet and then done a second batch because the edges ran together a little bit. With warmer butter, that could have been disastrous.)

5. Using your fingers, press down slightly on the top of each ball until it is about 3/4 of an inch thick.

6. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until a dark golden color.