WeldrBrat's Oatmeal Cookies

Everybody has their own version.  Right?!

I know!

But nothing gives me greater pleasure than sneaking a really great vitamin source into a snack – especially, when it’s some type of food that most people just never seem to pick up eating by itself.

And I smile really, really BIG - at those falling in love with these cookies while they’re eating them – knowing full well they’d be one of that “ Ewwwwww! “ crowd!

You know… the ones that don’t like Broccoli.

Noooooo… I did not!

" Come see! "

WeldrBrat’s Oatmeal Cookies

Makes a Double-Batch… approximately 8 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2 sticks Unsalted Butter **

1 ½ c. firmly packed Brown Sugar

1 c. Sugar

4 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

3 c. All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

2 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Salt ( or not )

6 c. Old-fashioned Oats ( uncooked )

1 c. Dried Cranberries

1 ½ c. Dried Cherries ( chopped )

Directions:

Set out 2 sticks of Butter to come to Room Temperature.  ** I have found that ( and I don’t know why ) taking 2 sticks of butter from the freezer to bring to room temperature makes a huge difference in the texture of this cookie.

Once your Butter has come to a firmness without a chill – turn your oven on to 350*.  Begin your preparation.

In a Medium-Size Bowl:

Combine Flour – Baking Soda – Cinnamon and Salt with a wisk.  Set aside.

In a Large Mixing Bowl:

Combine Butter and Sugars, until you have a nice meld that looks almost like a doughy paste.

Add Eggs and Vanilla.  Mix thoroughly, just enough to get an even blend.

Add Flour mixture.  I do this in 3 portions to keep a white mess from spreading all over my kitchen!  Start on the lowest speed and increase to second speed to get each portion completely incorporated.

Add Dried Cranberries and Dried Cherries.  Mix thoroughly.

Final step… CAREFULLY add Oatmeal.  My KitchenAid tends to try sending the batter over the edge.  So, don’t walk away!  I turn the machine off a couple times – to scoop all the batter back down into the center of the bowl for better mixing.

Do NOT be tempted to turn up the speed on your mixer to get better mixing.

Trust me.  Just – don’t do it.

Dob hefty Teaspoonfuls ( a little smaller than a golf ball ) onto cookie sheets.  Bake for approximately 13 minutes.  All ovens vary.  So, check!  Pull no later than when you see a brown crust developing around edges of cookies.

Leave cookies to set on cookie sheet while you set up another batch on a second cookie sheet.  Once you put the second sheet of cookies into the oven…

Pull cookies off with spatula and set onto waxed paper to cool further.

If you can manage to let ‘em get that far, anyway!  Ha!