One of the most fun things about baking/cooking is finding fun ways to repurpose ingredients. I’m kind of known for my penchant for giving leftovers a new home. I joke that I’m the garbage disposal in my family. It literally pains me to throw away food; I hate it. So I’ve developed a love for reusing ingredients in creative and unexpected ways. That’s how these ginger chunk chocolate chip oatmeal cookies were born. I found some crystalized ginger chunks in the pantry that had originally been intended for taking on trips in case of upset tummy troubles. They got left behind and nobody wanted to just snack on them, but I couldn’t bring myself to toss them out, so I had to make them into something better.
No matter the question, cookies are almost always the answer. Cookies are the most reliably delicious answer any time I’m looking to create something new to satisfy all the sweet tooths. I decided to take my go-to chocolate chip cookies and spin it into a slightly zingy, buttery, chewy, crispy morsel. Starting out with browning the butter this time instead of the typical creamed room temp butter, elevates this cookie beyond the classic. The nuttiness of the browned butter is an amazing compliment to the spiciness of the ginger chunks, the slightly savory bite of the oats, and, of course, the semi-sweetness of chocolate. There are enough ginger bits strewn throughout to get a pleasant little kick in each bite, mixing so surprisingly well with the chocolate. The ginger, along with flecks of cinnamon dusted throughout, create a warm level of spice that is playful and unique, yet still familiar enough to enjoy as much as the classic choc chip.
This creation was super satisfying since I got to save some nearly ill-fated ginger and its ultimate destiny was absolutely delicious. A total win on all accounts.
