Saturday, January 17, 2009

Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies


I love pie. I would call myself a devotee. And I have my favorites among other desserts as well. But, the treat that really has my heart? The one that gave this once 13-year old girl something to focus on when friends were scarce and life was strange? The one that gives me comfort even now in turbulous times when a simple phone call can cause an otherwise calm day to become crazed and jangly? Cookies. Baking them and eating them. WITH MILK. Warm, crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside...cookies. Chocolate chip. Oatmeal. Chocolate crackle. If I can dip it in milk, somehow it makes life a little nicer and simpler. I'm old-fashioned that way.

This cookie, however, needs no dipping. You could, if you felt like it. It certainly can hold its own when dunked in milk. But, for me, drinking milk after eating the cookie was sufficient. I wish I could give you the recipe. It's in this book:


So many of my favorite things combined: fresh and warming spices (including cardamom), sweet and moist dried cherries (sorry for the oxymoron, but you know what I mean),


crunchy and delicious toasted nuts.



I thought I was making the cookies a little bigger than they were supposed to be. But, the recipe said it should make 36, and I got 30 (unfortunately, I burnt 8 of those, I got distracted--too many irons in the fire--and forgot to set the timer). Now, I KNOW I ate more than 6 cookies worth of uncooked batter. Because it was that delicious.


So, maybe mine were even a little bit on the small side.


The dried cherries don't taste too cherry-ish. The cardamom isn't overpowering. All the tastes just combine into an unusual but still homey and delightful oatmeal cookie.

TGIP Rating--Oatmeal Cherry Nut Cookies--KEEPER (next time chop the nuts more coarsely)

Next up: Next Friday, January 23rd is National Pie Day!! (Not to be confused with Pi Day) So, naturally, I must make a pie! I'm trying a chocolate pudding pie (once again--seems like I failed at least a dozen times--what's that you say? I only tried it once? Well, then, once more won't hurt). I think everyone who reads these words should also make a pie that day. All...6 of you.

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