These are perfect cookies to include on a holiday cookie platter for those people who like simple, not-too-sweet, and still special cookies. Chocolate-Cherry-Oatmeal cookies are easy to make, yet complex enough in taste to satisfy the fussiest eaters--kids and adults. The cookies have plenty of texture and are full of oats, nuts, dried cherries, and, of course, chocolate chips. The cookies will be crisp on the edges and chewy in the center as long as you don't bake them too long. Although the cookies can hold their own with other cookies on a holiday platter, the simple cookies also are great alone, alongside a cup of hot tea or coffee or a big glass of milk. Enjoy!
Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal Cookies -- Makes about 24
1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of rye flour (substitute all-purpose flour if you don't have any)
3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 1/4 cup of regular, Old Fashioned oats
1/2 cup of quick oats
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup of chocolate chips, preferably dark chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter (or Smart Balance, if you'd rather)
1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of almond or low-fat milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or spray them with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, oats (regular and quick), walnuts, dried cherries, and chocolate chips. In another bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in the canola oil, milk, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir them together until everything is combined and no white streaks remain (you don't need to beat the mixture, just combine the ingredients--a wooden spoon works well!). Drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, using 1-2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie and leaving a couple of inches between each cookie. Don't try to put more than 9 cookies on each cookie sheet. With damp hands, form each dough mound into a round about 1/2-1-inch thick and flatten it slightly. Bake the cookies for 10-13 minutes, removing them when the edges are set and the middles appear a little damp. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing them to cool completely.
