Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies With Ras el Hanout

Everyone loves a good oatmeal cookie — and this one will take you straight to Morocco. Ras el hanout is a common Moroccan spice blend and translates to “top of the shop” in Moroccan Arabic, which suggests that the spices selected were the finest available in the merchant’s shop at the moment. The fragrant and warming spices of ras el hanout pair beautifully with the sweetness of the oatmeal cookie and the sharpness of the dark chocolate. Because of the spice mixture, these cookies won’t appear to brown much, so be careful not to overbake. You can use your favorite store-bought ras el hanout for your cookies or make your own blend (see tip).

Ingredients

• ⅔

  packed cup/146 grams light brown sugar

• ½

  cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

• 1

  large egg

• 2

  teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 ½

  cups/180 grams old-fashioned rolled oats

• 1

  cup/120 grams all-purpose flour

• 1

  teaspoon ras el hanout (see Tip)

• ½

  teaspoon baking soda

• 1

  teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1

  cup/190 grams semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a large bowl, and use a handheld electric whisk or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to mix all ingredients until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Add the oats, flour, ras el hanout, baking soda and salt; mix on a low speed until everything is just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate. 
4. Scoop the dough in single heaping tablespoonfuls and transfer them to the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each piece.
5. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the center of each cookie is a bit soft, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.