Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies

Fall is here!

Well - fall is almost here.  They are still forecasting some 70-degree days here in Indianapolis, but that's still chilly enough to start wearing sweater dresses and boots.  And that's close enough for me.

As soon as the weather becomes somewhat appropriate, I bust out my sweater socks and pumpkin candles (like I haven't been burning them for weeks) and baking season begins.

Yep - and it smells sooooo good.

Lately I have had an obsession with dried cranberries.  Like I could eat an entire bag of Craisins in one sitting.  I have no shame.

I especially love baking with cranberries, dried or otherwise.  But most people would say it's too early for cranberry cookies.  I disagree, but in my attempt to appeal to the masses - I found the next best thing: cherry flavored Craisins.

So in essence, I've lied to you.  These are really "Cherry Juice Infused Cranberry Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies."  But that didn't quite roll off the tongue.  So forgive the deception - and just pretend that there are really dried cherries in these cookies.

Or buy actual dried cherries and use those instead.  Whatever floats your boat.

I'm not normally a huge oatmeal cookie fan - but these are delish.  And because you put the oats in a food processor before adding them to the mix, you get the taste of oatmeal cookies, without the oatmeal cookie consistency.

A sweet, vanilla flavored cookie with the tang of dried cherries (technically cranberries, but still).

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
BAKE TIME: 13-15 minutes
MAKES: roughly 3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups oats (chopped in food processor)
1 cup Cherry Craisins

WHIP IT UP

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer on low speed.
3. Add egg and vanilla. Continue to mix on low speed until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
5. Add a cup at a time of the dry mixture to the wet mixture, mixing until blended.
6. Stir in oats.
7. Stir in Cherry Craisins.
8. Roll into teaspoon size balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Until it becomes socially acceptable to bake with cranberries, I will continue to lie to all of you and make cookies with cranberries in disguise.  Enjoy!

Jordan