Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat the butter, brown sugar, and sugar until creamy.
4. Beat in the eggs (one at a time), milk, and vanilla.
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
6. Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, and chocolate chips.
7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes.
9. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet, then cool on wire rack.

I did make a few adjustments to this.  I used 1 cup of white flour and 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour, to sneak a little bit of healthiness into the recipe.  I also realized as I was about to add the oats that I had only 1 cup of rolled oats, so I used quick oats for the rest.  You could easily substitute other types of nuts (or leave them out), and there are lots of "chips" that could be used (milk, white, semi-sweet, butterscotch, swirled, etc.).  I used 1 cup of white chocolate chips and 1 cup of milk chocolate chips because that's what I had left over from other recipes.  I also discovered a new way to break up nuts.  I just left them in the bag (I only had a small amount) and pounded them for a few seconds with my jar of baking soda.  It was quicker than using my nut grinder, and more fun, and I had one less thing to clean up!  For my oven, it worked best to bake for 6 minutes, switch the cookie sheets from top to bottom, and bake for 5 more minutes.  They are nicely browned, crispy on the outside but not hard.  I'm sure my colleagues will enjoy them when I bring them to school tomorrow!

Here is the original recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oatmeal-chocolate-coconut-chewy/detail.aspx