Craisin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

The very first time I ever flew first class (2 1/2-hour domestic flight, a chance upgrade for $70, and will likely never happen again), I was treated to a cranberry white-chocolate chip oatmeal cookie.  Normally, that combination would have made me reach for the regular chocolate chip cookie, but alas those did not exist on that trip, and I was determined to enjoy every little bit of my one and only first-class experience.  [Side note:  I found out that I really like almonds because of this trip.]  Since then, I have craved something of this nature (and coincidentally started loving craisins), and it hasn’t gone away.  I came across White On Rice Couple‘s blog via Pinterest and their adaption of a similar cookie, which sounded ripe for my own adaption and immediate consumption.

Trying to work only with what I already have in my kitchen (keeping future furloughs in mind), I came up with the following:

Ingredients (adapted from White on Rice Couple):

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
• 1/2 cup other dried fruit (or more craisins)
• rum, enough to cover the dried fruit
• 1 cup pecan meal
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cup  unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Soak the dried fruit in a bowl with enough alcohol to just cover them.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the oats. Set aside.
4. In a mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract.
5. Stir in the oat mixture until nearly combined, then stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.
6. Drain the dried fruit and stir into mixture.
7. Scoop by tablespoons onto parchment-lined sheet pans, about 1 1/2″ apart.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

So, they didn’t quite turn out looking like the original cookie, but that could be because I halved the recipe and substituted pecan meal for the original recipe’s chopped pecans and almonds.  They smelled really good though, so I could barely hold myself back from eating these fresh out of the oven.  I definitely burned the top of my mouth and fingers as I shoved one into my mouth without regard to my personal safety.

It all worked out because they were hearty and delicious!  What I really liked about them is that they were not overly sugary.  They were not very gooey, which I did not expect, but I enjoyed this little detour from the norm.  My husband gave me the thumbs up, so I’m happy.  Once you try one, I dare you not to eat the whole batch.  Because you will.