Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cookies


After a very busy spring, this weekend I finally had the chance to experiment in the kitchen. I produced another oatmeal cookie recipe for this blog.

To read more about oatmeal, see my first recipe. That one makes dense, crunchy, super sweet, chocolately cookies. This one produces soft, spicy and light treats which contain half the butter!

These cookies are fragrant and flavorful because of the cinnamon and cardamom. Feel free to use any type of dried fruits or nuts, though I would stay away from walnuts which can be a touch bitter.


Makes 30

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup applesauce
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried cherries
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom.
3. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar for 4 minutes until fluffy.
4. Add applesauce and beat on low speed. Add flour mixture and continue to beat.
5. Add oats, cranberries, cherries and pecans and mix with a spatula.
6. Refrigerate the batter for at least one hour.
7. On a large, ungreased baking sheet drop heaping tablespoons of batter. Flatten with a spoon.
8. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Can be frozen for up to three months.