Top-secret chocolate chip cookies

Martha, Oprah and BillyKnowsBest loves them, and so do I -- but not necessarily for the same reasons. You see, oats are the "secret" ingredient in the famous Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookie recipe. Of course, that is by now the worst-kept secret in culinaria. But the true secret that separates the good from the great are these chewy, steel-cut oats. And you can buy them at Trader Joe's.

My dear friend Jim churns these cookies out by the thousands, and they are a major crowd-pleaser. He offers an additional secret: About two minutes before finishing, slam the pan down to collapse the cookies and make a denser, chewier texture. Recipe after the jump.

Jim's "Secret" Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dry ingredients:
2.5 c. Irish oats
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs

2 bags of milk choc chips alone or 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips with 1.5 c. pecans

In a food processor, grind the oats to a fine flour; add remaining dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Incorporate dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in chips and/or nuts. Scoop out dough into roughly 2-Tbsp chunks and roll into balls. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake approximately 12 min at 350º. Slam cookies roughly two minutes prior to end of cook time if you desire a denser, chewier texture.

The dough will last about one to two weeks in the fridge or up to about three months in the freezer

Option: You can substitute 1/2 cup of flour for cocoa powder to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies