Kendra's Treats

I went home last weekend to visit my family. Usually I have a long list of things I want to bake while I’m there (I like to take advantage of all the taste testers!), but I haven’t felt particularly inspired in the kitchen the last couple weeks and I had exactly zero items on my to-bake list. Luckily, my mom had a Pinterest board full of recipes that she’d been wanting to try. These cookies were first up and they were amazing! They’re huge – probably the biggest cookies I’ve ever made – and since they’re so big they have the perfect ratio of crispy edges to chewy centers…so good! They’re stuffed full of chocolate, walnuts, and dried cherries which only makes them more delicious. Maybe I’ll let Mom pick the recipes from now on ;). You’ve got to give these cookies a try! Enjoy!

Big and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp molasses
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
3/4 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 sheet trays with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg and molasses. Stir until completely smooth.
4. Add in the dry mixture and stir until evenly mixed. Add in the cherries, walnuts, and chocolate chips and mix in. Chill dough 2 hours. Portion chilled cookie dough into 1/3 cup balls.
5. Bake 4-5 per cookie sheet. Space evenly and bake for 15 minutes. Press down lightly on the cookies and bake for another 3-5 minutes. Makes 10 large cookies.
*from Golden Barrel