Oatmeal Cherry Cookies
MUSIC PAIRING: Ramones, Road To Ruin
I do not like cooked raisins. My mom used to buy those frozen Lender’s cinnamon raisin bagels when I was a kid and she loved them. I never understood why. The raisins would get all mushy and sticky and inevitably, I’d unknowingly smear them everywhere and then get in trouble for not cleaning it up. How can I clean something up that I’m unaware of? Wouldn’t it just be easier to never buy those gross bagels again?
Over the years, I’ve tried to get into cooked raisins. Honestly, I don’t care for raisins at all so I guess I shouldn’t be too shocked that cooking them really doesn’t help the situation. To this day, my mom still swears that the carrot raisin salad from Chick-fil-A is delicious. My response? “Must’ve been so delicious they took it off their menu, Mom”. HA!
I LOVE oatmeal cookies though and never understood why those pesky raisins got invited to the party. Any oatmeal raisin cookie I ever ate resulted in me sucking all the brown sugary dough off the raisins and spitting them out like sunflower seeds. It may have taken me a while but I finally figured out that subbing in dried cherries was the solution to my raisin woes.
These cookies are freaking delicious. While I’d eat them all day without any dried fruit, the cherries add a perfect tart zing that helps cut through the fat of the butter.
Plus, you’re eating oats, people. Consider this a health food cookie!
Why Ramones? I love the Road to Ruin album and wanted to dance off some cookie calories. I may or may not have danced whilst actually eating cookies but I admit nothing.
Recipe slightly adapted from: Quaker Oats
- 1 stick plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
- 1 cup dried cherries
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add to bowl with sugar and butter.
- Add oats and cherries and fold everything together well.
- Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
- Store tightly covered.
- I've made these several times now and I highly suggest adding in a cup of dark chocolate chips. Chocolate and cherries are one of my favorite combos so do yourself a favor and try that version when you inevitably make these cookies over and over.
Erica
October 13, 2016
Well, these sound delicious. I, too, detest raisins in all forms (except when they’re still grapes, or wine). Adding these to my list of must makes!
Colleen
October 14, 2016
mmm!!!! I’ve always loved oatmeal raisin cookies, but I’d be willing to try out oatmeal cherry cookies! thanks for the recipe 🙂