Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Pecans, and Dried Cherries

These little cookies are packed full of flavor.  You can't go wrong with these cookies any time of the year not just at Christmas.  The chocolate and cherries go so well together and then the crunch of the pecans.  Delicious!  I really like them warm from the oven with the gooey chocolate.  I might have to go bake a few.  

I found a new smaller cookie scoop this year and it has been a hit.  Everyone loves the small bite size cookies, so they can sample more of them. 

There's lots of goodies in these, both white and  chocolate chips. 

Start with 1 1/2 sticks softened butter

Add 1 1/4 cups brown sugar. Mix well. 

Add 1 egg, mix.  Add 2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt.  Mix after adding all these. I really messed up with the pictures on this one.  Add 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour.  Mix a little at a time. 

1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats, add a little at a time

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup chopped pecans.  You can toast the pecans before adding.  If you do make sure they are cooled. 

1 cup dried tart cherries.  Add all these goodies and mix well.  The batter will be thick.

Scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in a preheated 350 oven. Due to the size of my cookies I start out with 7 or 8 minutes.  It is much easier to start with a shorter time period and add to the baking time.  Nothing worse than burnt cookies.  If you make them larger you can start with a longer time. 

Trust me they are so good warm from the oven.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chunks, Pecans and Dried Cherries Recipe

1 1/2 sticks softened butter1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons canilla

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oaats

1 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks

1 cup dried tart cherries

Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 7-10 minutes depending on size. 

Honey Pistachio Cookies

 I found this recipe shortly after Christmas last year and set it aside to try this year.  In early fall I made a test recipe to see how well the honey in the batter froze.  I know I sacrificed for all of you so you wouldn't have to test it yourself.  They worked well so they were added to this year's lineup.  I think you will like them. 

They are a nice golden brown cookie with little specks of chopped pistachios. 

This is a very simple base the flavor comes from the honey and the nuts. 

Start with 1 stick softened butter.

3/4 cup sugar.  

Mix well. 

Add one egg. 

Mix that well

If you spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray the honey will slide right out. 

1/2 cup honey.  Find a good honey since that is where a lot of the flavor comes from. 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour.  Add a little at a time. 

1 cup unsalted pistachios chopped. You don't have to make them tiny. They can be a little chunky.

And here is the dough. 

Scoop out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in a preheated 350 oven.  Bake for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.  I like to make small cookies.  They do freeze well for baking later. 

Now enjoy some warm cookies. 

Honey Pistachio Cookie Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1 cup unsalted pistachios chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 8-2 minutes depending on size. 

Sparkling Sugarplum Cranberry Cookies

This was one of my favorite new cookies of the season.  It was a lot of my friends favorite too, except for my husband. He did not like them at all.  But to be honest he isn't a fan of cranberries either.  He passes on the cranberry relish at Thanksgiving too.  I have fresh cranberries in the freezer so I can make these again next year.  

They are a pretty pinkish purple color.  You roll them in sugar so they shimmer a little too and the sugar crystallizes a little for a nice crunch.

Fresh cranberries and orange you can't go wrong with that combo. 

First thing you will want to do is look your cranberries and then wash them. The recipe calls for frozen cranberries.  I froze a couple of bags last year, so I set out a bag. The longer they thaw the better.  They will plump up.  I think I thawed these overnight. 

Wash them and let them dry.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups.  Set aside.

Measure out 1/4 cup orange juice.

Of the 1/4 cup orange juice take out 2 Tablespoons and add to a blender or food processor. Add the cranberries too. 

Zest an orange.

Add it to the blender as well. 

I am using a ninja chopper. 

Blend, blend, blend.

Isn't that a pretty color?

Measure out 2/3 cup of the mixture.

Now for the cookie.  Add 2/3 cup softened butter to the bowl.

Add 2/3 cup sugar. Mix well. 

Add the cranberry orange mixture.

Mix well. 

Add 2 cups all purpose flour.  Add a little at a time. 

Add 1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries. Mix well. 

Here is your dough.  Put the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes. 

Add some sugar into a bowl.

Make cookie dough balls and roll in the sugar. 

Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Place in a preheated 400 oven.  Bake for 7-10 minutes based on how big your cookies are.  You want the edges lightly golden but not brown. 

Fresh from the oven nice a warm.  They are so good. Nice and tangy flavor.  If you like cranberries you will love these cookies.