Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries and Toffee

I saw a recipe for these cookies on Martha Stewart’s website; I love dried cherries so ‘had’ to try them. Her original recipe also calls for mini chocolate chips -- they were good cookies but I thought that the chocolate competed with the cherry and toffee flavors so I made the recipe again, leaving the chocolate out and adding more cherries. I think I have a new favorite cookie, at least for now!

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries and Toffee (adapted from Martha Stewart)

2 sticks butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups quick oats
2 cups dried cherries, chopped
1 cup toffee bits (such as Heath bits from the baking aisle at the grocery)

Cream butter and sugars until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour and baking soda, then mix in oats, dried cherries, and toffee bits (these may need to be kneaded in by hand). Divide dough into three portions; shape into disks or logs and refrigerate until firm.

Shape dough into grape-sized balls; bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Cool on baking sheet about 2 minutes to allow hot toffee to set; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 200 small (1-1/2”) cookies.

Polka Dotties

I like old cookbooks from the 50’s and 60’s; this cookie recipe is from one of the small Pillsbury cookbooks from the 50’s that was a collection of the recipes from the 8th Bake-Off contest. When I was browsing through the recipes in the book I saw this one that calls for a bottle of chocolate ‘jimmies’; I’d had an unopened bottle in the cupboard since ‘who knows when’ so I decided to make the cookies. The ‘standard’ bottle of Cake Mate brand jimmies -- the one that’s about 4” tall -- from the grocery is what this recipe calls for.

The cookies have a nice but not strong flavor and are crisp; they’re good with a glass of milk or a dish of plain ice cream.

Polka Dotties

Sift together 2 cups of sifted Pillsbury flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and ½ teaspoon salt.

Cream 1/3 cup butter or margarine and 1/3 cup Crisco in a mixing bowl. Gradually add ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar and ¼ cup sugar, creaming well.

Blend in 1 unbeaten egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing well.

Remove two-thirds of the dough to a pastry cloth or board which has been sprinkled lightly with sugar.

Blend 1/3 cup (one bottle) chocolate cake decorations into the remaining one-third of dough.

Roll out half of plain dough into an 8x4-inch rectangle. Shape half of chocolate-speckled dough into a roll 8 inches long; place on rectangle of plain dough. Mold sides of plain dough around speckled dough. Repeat with remaining dough.

Roll in mixture of 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans and 1 teaspoon sugar, pressing nuts firmly into dough. Wrap rolls of dough in waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Chill at least two hours. Cut into ¼-inch slices; place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in a moderately hot oven (400 degrees) 6 to 9 minutes until light golden brown. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.