Cookie Monster!

   Who doesn't love cookies? Even if you tell me you don't, I still won't believe you! You might not like all of them, but I'm sure everybody has their favorite cookie. For me the real "cookie love" started when I came to the US and discovered the absolutely amazing and irresistible oatmeal cookie! Whoever came up with the recipe deserves a Nobel Prize, or even two! Sweet, crunchy, gooey, and delicious. Of course the most famous oatmeal cookies are chocolate chip, but I don't really like chocolate, so for me the real treats are either macadamia or cranberry cookies. The recipe couldn't be simpler and here is what you need to make dried cranberry oatmeal cookies:

*  1 stick butter (room temp)
*  1 cup all-purpose flour
*  2 cups old fashioned oats
*  1 cup dried cranberries
*  3/4 tsp cinnamon
*  1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*  1/2 teaspoon fine salt
*  1/2 cup light brown sugar
*  1/2 cup white sugar
*  1 large egg
*  1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy for about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats and cranberries, mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff). Using a 4-ounce cookie scoop, scoop slightly rounded mounds of the dough into 12 (2-inch-diameter) balls, arrange them on a baking sheet spaced evenly apart and bake at 350F until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving. This is very important that you take the cookies out of the oven after 15 minutes and let them cool completely. They will seem a little bit underdone but it's exactly how they should look if you want them to be moist and gooey!

   Do I really need to say how good they are? After all it's cookies we are talking about... they are good no matter what! You can add different fruit, chocolate, nuts, or whatever you desire and have a different kind each time.

Enjoy.
Magda.