Oatmeal Cookies with Apricots and Toasted Almonds

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The only "rocks" better than these cookies are diamonds. I know I confound people when I direct them to the sites of test kitchens operated by food manufacturers. Lots of us think that a recipe that appears on the back of a box is something that doesn't deserve a second glance. I suspect we forget the time, effort and repeated experiments that have led to its publication by the manufacturer. I found the parent version of this recipe on the Diamond Nuts website, and once I tried them they replaced what had been my favorite oatmeal cookie. My family loves them as well and they have become permanent residents in my cookie jar. We joke that they are never-stale cookies. They just don't last long enough for that to happen. I think you like them too. Here's the recipe for a new take on a favorite old-fashioned cookie.

Chunky Chocolate-Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was cleaning the pantry today and found a cache of dried cherries left from my holiday baking. I'm getting the house ready for weekend guests, so, while I wanted to use them up, I didn't want to add an involved recipe to my to-do list. I remembered seeing a recipe for oatmeal cookies in an for parchment paper last month. The recipe was dirt simple and cookies, surprise, surprise, never seem to go to waste around here. As soon as I finished the pantry, I made and froze half the dough to bake off when our guests arrived. That left half the dough for the Silver Fox and I. I shaped and baked the dough tonight and can report that oatmeal cookie lovers have yet another recipe to try. These cookies have crisp edges and soft chewy centers. They are large and tastefully stuffed with add-ins. I used cherries, chocolate chips and walnuts, but in cookies of this type, you're not limited to what is in the ingredient list. Any dried fruit or nut can be used, but I'd keep the add-ins to a cup or less. If you enjoy oatmeal cookies do give this simple recipe a try. Here is how the cookies are made.

Small Batch Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm hosting a coffee next week and I've started to prepare some of the treats I'll be serving for the get-together. I use occasions like to test new recipes that have caught my eye, and this afternoon I made a trial batch of these oatmeal cookies to see if they pass muster. They did. These are large cookies that have soft centers and crispy edges. They are very easy to make, but I do have one caution to share with you. The cookie dough must be refrigerated for several hours before it is baked or you will have paper thin cookies that have no substance. The recipe is straight forward and the cookies are quite nice, definitely in the keeper category. Here is how they are made.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the things I've encountered while cooking for guests in our smaller quarters, is the need to have a few dishes that can be made early in the morning without waking the dead. I pulled this old cookie recipe from my paper archives because they could be made silently while the birds supervised the rising of the sun. I wanted to make a small batch of cookies for the ride to the airport and the long cross-country flight back home. These cookies are a classic that will appeal to all who do not have an aversion to coconut. As a matter of fact, because the coconut is toasted, it might not even be an issue. The flavor of natural coconut is give a boost with the addition of a dose of coconut extract, but if that is not to your taste simply omit it. The recipe is so simple and straight forward that additional comments or hints from me are not necessary. I do hope you'll give the cookies a try. While they are crisp at the edges these cookies have soft centers that make them perfect for dunking. Here is how they are made.

Mocha Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love simple recipes and those for cookies are rarely easier than the one I'm featuring tonight. While most children love oatmeal cookies, the amount of coffee in these will be off-putting to them. Adults, however, will keep coming back for more, especially if they like coffee flavored sweets. I can't think of a nicer accompaniment for vanilla ice cream. If you have a strong arm or a hand mixer, the recipe is simple enough to qualify for our cottage cooking collection. While the cookies can be mixed in ten minutes, they do require some time to chill before they can be shaped and baked. If you decide to try mixing these completely by hand, make sure your arms are strong enough to properly cream the butter and sugar. I've tried to do this and have failed miserably. When I think about how much mixing was done by hand, I'm convinced our grandmother's upper arms must have been the size of thighs. An exercise like this, gives me a greater appreciation of what they were able to produce in their kitchens. I do hope you'll give these cookies a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Here is how they are made.

Nutella Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I like to end a picnic or barbecue with something sweet that can be served with a minimum amount of effort and mess. That pretty much rules out frosted cakes and airy pies, but it leaves the door open for all manner of plain cakes and cookies. The recipe I'm featuring tonight first appeared in Food and Wine magazine, and I knew as soon as I scanned the ingredient list, that I would have to give it a try. This is basically an oatmeal cookie that is flavored with Nutella and a bit of cinnamon. The cookies are simple to make and leave no trace of chocolate on little hands or clothing. They are quite sweet, but so good that even those who prefer less sweet treats will enjoy one or two of them. The flavor of the cookies is unique and those of you who like Nutella will love these. The cookies have crisp edges and centers that remain moist, and while they are wonderful to eat out of hand, they make a wonderful base for ice cream sandwiches. While I doubt they'll remain in the cookie jar for any length of time, they are excellent keepers and can be made several days before you actually plan to serve them. I hope those of you who are looking for a new cookie recipe will give this one a try. Here is how they are made.

Maraschino Cherry, White Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Lest you lose more sleep, I'm here tonight to answer one of life's most vexing questions. What exactly are maraschino cherries? I know you're anxious, so we'll get right to the point. They are light colored sweet cherries that are bleached in a solution of calcium chloride and sulfur dioxide. When they turn yellow they are transferred from the bleach solution to vats of high fructose syrup and Red Dye #4, where they get sloshed and gradually become the vibrant red stemmed beauties you find in drinks and atop ice cream sundaes. I rarely have them in the house, but I had a visitor this week who had a request that demanded I use them. After our busy afternoon, I still had some remaining, and because I am frugal, I stuck the jar in the fridge with the intention of finding someway to use them. I found this recipe on the blog Yummy Addiction and decided these cookies would be a perfect way to finish the remaining cherries. Those of you who like sweet things will be thrilled with these. As I see it,  the oatmeal cancels out the butter, sugar and dye in the cherries and produces a  health food that has yet to be recognized. My feelings about the cherries aside, this is a really nice cookie that I know those of you who try will enjoy. Here is how they are made.