First, grind the oats in a blender or food processor until they form a coarse powder. A few bigger pieces of oats here and there are fine (see photo below). Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars with a hand mixer on medium speed until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed to combine.
Now add the ground oats, then sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt (if using.) Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients in gently, then add the chocolate chips (reserve two tablespoons of the chips to decorate the cookies later). Stir again to form a thick, sticky dough.
Cover the bowl with clingfilm and chill for 20 to 30 minutes (I find this is the perfect amount of chilling time to make sure the cookies don't flatten completely in the oven, but also don't remain super thick with very little spread. If chilling for longer than this, you may need to let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes until you can scoop it.)
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 175 C. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or non-stick baking paper.
Use a medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoons) or spoon to form equal portions of the dough and place them two inches apart on the tray. I bake 9 cookies at a time in my oven.
Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies have spread out, turned golden-brown around the edges, but are still pale and soft on the top. If they seem a bit puffy, gently but firmly bang the tray down on the edge of your kitchen counter to help them flatten.
Press a few of the reserved chocolate chips onto the tops of the cookies while they're still hot, then let them cool for 10 minutes on the tray. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up and become drier as they cool.
Repeat with the remaining dough. If it's very hot on the day you're baking these, keep the rest of the dough chilled while a batch is in the oven.
Once completely cool, store in an airtight tin for 4 to 5 days or freeze for longer. All cookies dry out the longer they're stored, but I find these were soft in the center for about four days for sure. Happy baking!