Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into chunks. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the sweet potato chunks and cook for about 15 minutes, until they are fork-tender. Drain the water and mash the potatoes until smooth. Set aside the mashed sweet potato and allow it to cool slightly—you'll need 2 cups for the dough.

In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, rolled oats, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground ginger. Mix everything together until evenly distributed and set the bowl aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter, packed brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and slightly fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until well combined. Once the mashed sweet potato (from Step 1) has cooled to warm room temperature (not hot), fold it into the butter and sugar mixture.

Gradually stir the dry ingredients (from Step 2) into the wet mixture (from Step 3), being careful not to over mix. Once combined into a dough, fold in the chocolate chips or chocolate chunks gently to distribute them evenly throughout the dough. I like to reserve a few chocolate chips to press on top of each cookie before baking—they look irresistible this way!

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Prepare a baking sheet by greasing it or lining it with parchment paper. Scoop portions of dough onto the baking sheet, spacing them slightly apart. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are slightly crisp and the centers appear soft. Do not over bake—the softness in the center means they'll stay chewy and moist.

Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes before transferring them to a container. While they’re still warm, gently squish each cookie with a spatula for a rustic look and chewy texture. For an extra treat, I sometimes sprinkle a touch of sea salt on top right after squishing—it really brings out the chocolate flavor!