Inspiring whimsical sweets & savory dishes

Well, you guys, The Big Move is moving right along. I’m so excited!! We’re getting things packed up here and there, and next week, we’re going to play a little guessing game here on Bakingdom. Woohoo! I love games. :)

Today, thoguh, I want to fill you guys in on how things are going to be over the next few weeks. It’s sort of boring, but I want to keep you all in the loop. I appreciate that you take the time to visit me here, and it matters to me that you keep having fun when you’re here.

So. Here’s the 411:

My family is moving over 4,000 miles. It’s a massive move. We will be traveling for several days in March, and once we arrive, we still have to do some on site house hunting. In addition to that, since our household goods are traveling so far, and coming back to the U.S. from overseas, it’s going to be several months before we have all of it. For those reasons, I won’t be able to bake as much as I’d like to, which means fewer recipe posts, but there are some good things coming from that, too. The main thing is that I get to have some of my very favorite bloggie buddies doing guest posts over the next couple of months! :) So, even though I won’t be sharing as many recipes and creations with you, there will still be fun, exciting, and delicious treats to check out.

I’ll still be posting, too, of course, and they will almost all be new recipes or baking ideas, but there may be a travel post or two sprinkled in there, too. That’s not entirely new for me (as you Potterheads may recall), but it’s certainly not the norm either, so I’m excited to share things with you. Plus, thanks to the wonder that is the smartphone, for those of you that follow me, I’ll be updating my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@bakingdom) regularly, so I get to share little pieces of our road trip and experience along the way. :)

I just want you guys to know that I appreciate your understanding and patience, in advance, and also that I appreciate all of you. Thanks for your support and for hanging out here with me. You rock!

Now, have a cookie.

These cookies start out with my favorite basic oatmeal cookie recipe, which is just all-purpose flour, brown sugar, unsalted butter (or margarine), eggs, sugar, oats (I’ve used both quick and old fashioned with success), cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. This recipe results in a softer, fluffier cookie than a lot of oatmeal cookies recipes, which is what I prefer. If you want a flatter, crispier cookie, you can double the butter.

Next, I added my favorite oatmeal cookie add-in: mini chocolate chips.

And, finally, I stirred in some tart, dried cherries. I love raisins, but I don’t like them in my oatmeal cookies (or any baked good, for that matter), but these cherries are a different story. I love the bright, tart sweetness they add, and they’re an unexpected surprise in place of raisins.

I like for my cookies to be smallish, so I place one and a half tablespoon sized scoops, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat mats. They don’t spread much, so you can actually fit several on a sheet, just leave about one and half to two-inches of space between them. You can certainly make these twice as big, but be sure to adjust baking times accordingly.

These always turn out so pretty and golden from the oven, and the warm, spicy aroma of them on the air is so inviting; it’s difficult not to eat them all directly from the oven.

I love how packed full of goodies they are, too; hearty oatmeal, rich chocolate, and sweet and tart cherries…what’s not to like?

Plus, they’re filling, oatmeal is breakfast, and they have fruit…absolutely no one can deny that these should be eaten for breakfast!!

So grab a cold glass of milk, or a hot mug of coffee, and dig in. I’d never judge you for eating cookies for breakfast (because then I’d be a hypocrite). Enjoy!

Cherry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES
1 cup (127 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick or 113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature (margarine for vegan/dairy-free)
1/2 cup (128 grams) brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1 egg (1/4 cup applesauce for vegan/dairy-free)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add both sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the egg until just combined and stir in the vanilla. Scrape the bowl. Add the flour mixture in two batches, mixing well between each one. Scrape the bowl, then stir int he oatmeal until well combined. Stir in the cherries and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Place 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon mounds of dough on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Recipe by Darla

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