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Jamie Stolper
These are my favorite oatmeal cookie and I find them to be absolutely addictive. They are bursting with different flavors, have a chewy texture with a bit of a crunch on the edges, and are not too sweet. It's a wonderful taste surprise to get a burst of fresh cranberry, which makes them perfect for a Thanksgiving weekend treat. I have made these both with butter and with margarine and they are equally good. I always use semi-sweet chocolate bits, but you could probably use white chocolate chunks or leave out the chocolate altogether (a no-no in my family!). These cookies can be made as small bites or as large, hefty cookies that are a dessert unto themselves – just adjust the baking time accordingly. The recipe can be easily doubled and the dough can be frozen.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter or margarine, at room temperature
5/8 cup light brown sugar, packed (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
3/8 cup granulated sugar (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 extra large egg
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/8 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the top third of the oven. You can line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just use an ungreased non-stick baking sheet. Place the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix gently. Set aside Cream the butter or margarine with the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix until blended. Fold in the flour mixture, or use the slowest speed in a KitchenAid or similar mixer. Then fold in the oats, raisins, dried and fresh cranberries, walnuts, and chocolate chips. (You can dump them all in at once.) Make sure ingredients are well-distributed. Scoop batter by generous 1-tablespoon measures onto the pan. I place six on a pan and use my fingers to form loose balls and flatten them just slightly. Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 12 minutes, just until the edges are slightly brown. If you allow them to brown more, they will be crisp all through instead of chewy and dense in the center (but still great!). Remove the cookies gently from the pan with a spatula and let cool on a wire rack. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Yield: Approximately 30 cookies (more or less depending on size) Jamie Stolper is the Food Editor of ShalomBoston.com.
Oatmeal Cranberry Raisin Walnut Cookies with Chocolate Chips
ShalomBoston.com
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