Adult Cookies

I'm not being flippant when I report that these may be some of the best cookies I've ever made.  And yep, I'm totally calling them "adult cookies" instead of something that would reflect more of what is in them.  Not only is it shorter and easier than oatmeal-dried-cherry-pecan-white-chocolate-chip cookies, but it's also descriptive about their best audience.  Adults.

Adult cookies kind of sound naughty but I can assure you they aren't x-rated, and they aren't boozy.  Though boozy might be fun.  They do contain ingredients that most kids fail to appreciate.  I definitely remember that crazy sense of disappointment when I realized the Christmas fudge I picked out from the big plate at my grandma's house had walnuts in it.  Total joy crusher.  I never, ever would have chosen an oatmeal cookie over a chocolate chip one.  Dried fruit typically came as small raisin boxes, which were absolutely disgusting.  Still are.

These start off like the kind of cookies kids like...plenty of butter and brown sugar.

But then you add a bunch of oatmeal.

And you really alienate the kids here when you add dried cherries and chopped pecans.  If you add fruit and nuts to a cookie, brownie or most any type of bar, you've lost the interest of every child in my house.  

  Even the addition of white chocolate chips doesn't interest them after the fruit.  

(Maybe my kids are so spoiled by all of the baked goods they get that they've become treat snobs.  Oh dear.) 

The thing is, every time I bake these I have to give them away.  My kids won't eat them.  And I will.  Lots and lots of them.  Because they are so, so good.

Chock full of the things you come to appreciate when your palate ages into something more sophisticated.  Kind of like red wine.  And squash.  And sweet potatoes.  And red wine....

Forget the glass of milk.  I'm thinking these cookies would be a perfect accompaniment to that bottle of zinfandel I've got in the pantry!

  
Adult Cookies
(or Cherry Pecan White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies)
Adapted from this recipe by Rachael Ray.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter at room temperature
1.5 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
5 oz dried cherries (one package)
4 oz chopped pecans (two small packages)
1.5 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In your mixer, beat butter and sugars until very fluffy.  Add in vanilla, then the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.  Sprinkle on the baking soda, then slowly add in the flour until well incorporated.  Add the oatmeal until mixed in, then the dried cherries, pecans and white chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded scoopful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  A smaller scoop will obviously result in more cookies.  I used my 4 tablespoon size scoop from Pampered Chef to get larger cookies, but fewer of them.  Bake for 13 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies and your oven.  Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for a few minutes, then slide the parchment paper onto the counter to allow the cookies to cool completely.  Then enjoy!