Soft Oatmeal, Coconut, Pecan, Toffee, Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Soft Oatmeal, Coconut, Pecan, Toffee, & Chocolate Chunk Cookie

It seems like anything I write about these cookies is going to pale in comparison with what the cookies are: soft, moist, flavorful, buttery, chewy greatness. They're not the most attractive cookies in the world, but they are one of the best-tasting. They have just enough oatmeal to live up to the name, and you can taste each of the other tasty additions: the coconut, pecans, toffee, and chocolate. Even without the chocolate, they're fabulous.
You want to be careful not to under bake these, because they need to caramelize pretty well on the bottom so that they stay intact once cooled. The second pan I baked didn't get done enough, and when I put them in a zip lock bag to take to my tutoring students, they had broken a little bit, even though I handled them gingerly. The first pan I thought I'd over baked, but they held together, stayed soft, and were de-lish.
I only made half of these with the chocolate chunks. They taste great both ways.

Soft Oatmeal, Coconut, Pecan, Toffee, Chocolate Chunk Cookies
     --inspired by Barb's Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup toffee bits
• 8-9 ounces dark chocolate chunks (I used chopped up Dove Dark Chocolate)

Instructions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a simmer/boil. Remove from heat, add rolled oats, and stir. Set aside to cool for about 15-20 minutes.
Into a small bowl, sift the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on high until fluffy again. Then mix in the cooled oatmeal until incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and mix just until fully incorporated. Add the coconut, pecans, toffee bits, and chocolate chunks and stir to incorporate. Be careful not to over mix.
Move dough to a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and place evenly on prepared baking sheet, leaving about two inches between dough balls.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes, or until browned around the edges and the cookies are starting to darken a little toward the middle.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

See how that chunk of toffee in the middle
of that dough ball turns into a fantastically
sweet and crunchy crater in the finished cookie?