Christmas Baking-The Reality

Cookie baking is on the agenda.  The stupid pinched  nerve in my hip is really bugging me but I figured Oatmeal cookies two ways would be easy since I can't go Christmas shopping yet because I can't walk very far.  The "dream" cookie was one I found in one of Martha Stewart magazines. It was "Cookie of the Month".  I cut it out and have been wanting to try it.

"Oatmeal cookies with dried apricots and white chocolate"

3/4 c. A.P. flour

3/4 c. oatmeal

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 stick room temp. butter

1/8 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

4 oz. white chocolate chips ( or chopped up from a block)

3/4 c. chopped dried apricots

        Preheat oven 350*

Combine flour, oatmeal and baking soda in a bowl.  Cream butter and sugars in a mixer until pale yellow. Add salt, vanilla and egg and beat 1 minute until thoroughly mixed in.  Add flour mixture a little at a time until combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots.  I missed the part where she said to cover and refrigerate until cold about 30 min.  I just dropped  heaping teaspoonfuls onto my cookie sheets and baked them for 10 min. until the edges were golden brown. To make them more holiday-ish I sprinkled them with green sugar sprinkles.

They were and are very tender with the tang of the apricots and super sweetness of white chocolate.
I got a little over 2 dozen. You could easily double the recipe and make them bigger using a tablespoon.

A word about cookie sheets.  I have three thin aluminum sheetpans. I keep them really clean so they are still shiny and don't need to be oiled or anything.  If I used my regular heavy duty sheetpans I would line them with parchment paper.


Dried Apricot and White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookie #2 was my basic off the Quaker Oatmeal box cookie with 1/2 c each dried cranberries, chocolate chips and chopped pecans added. Oh, I also add 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. clove and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the dough.  This time I added 1/4 c. cognac for the liquid but they came out a little drier than when I use milk.  They were sprinkled with red sugar crystals.
Next is Chocolate O'Rama!!!