Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Second to last coworker request, and four days later than my original goal. Oops.

“Something with cherries would be nice.”

She also doesn’t prefer peanut butter in her baked goods, which is kind of a relief, because peanut butter wears me out. That was kind of a weird thought, but peanut butter is one of those things that I love dearly yet don’t want to indulge in all the time; I tire of it rather quickly.

The recipe explicitly warns against using quick cooking oats, but, when I looked in the pantry, the oats we had were quick cooking. Amazing, because I never eat quick cook oats. It must have been one of those black-out moments at the grocery store, you know, the moments when you’re so overwhelmed that you aren’t conscious of what you’re grabbing? Please tell me someone else experiences these moments. The cookies came out well, not really like oatmeal cookies, but almost like cake cookies, in a good way. They remind me of the oatmeal chocolate chip cake, from Baked Explorations.

Definitely a sweet treat. Consider yourself warned!

Subliminal Nestle advertising?! Oopsie.

Oatmeal Cherry Cookies

(From All Cakes Considered, by Melissa Gray)

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 1/3 cups light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups traditional, rolled oats

½ cup dried cherries

½ cup butterscotch morsels

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and prepare your cookie sheets by lining them with parchment.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and set aside.

3. Cream the butter and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5. Add in the milk and vanilla extract, then beat well.

6. Gradually add the flour mixture, and beat well after each addition. If you’re using a mixer, turn it to lower speed for this step.

7. Add the oats, then beat until just mixed.

8. Add in the cherries and butterscotch morsels, then mixing just until all the batter is incorporated.

9. Drop the cookies onto prepared sheets, using a teaspoon, so they are evenly spaced. Melissa suggests 9 cookies per sheet.

10. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, until they are golden brown in color.

11. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

These keep for a few days, sealed in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

A simple photo to showcase my new jars. New jars!!!!