Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries & Toasted Pecans

I know… I know.. nothing but cookies around these parts! But with the snowstorm that hit the northeast this weekend, nothing felt more appropriate than hunkering down in the kitchen with my brother and making some oatmeal cookies.  I’ve always had a thing for chocolate in oatmeal cookies (I’m secretly obsessed with the ones from Potbelly), so when my brother discovered a version that included dried cherries and toasted pecans I was totally on board.

Cooking is providing a much needed sense of calm for me right now. It’s been a rough couple of days, but the act of preheating the oven, prepping the dough, and filling the house with the sweet smells of butter and brown sugar was a step in the right direction. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries & Toasted Pecans adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Makes approximately two dozen cookies

• 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 1 cup (4 ounces) dried tart cherries
• 4 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), slightly softened
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, mix together dried cherries, toasted pecans, oats, and chocolate chunks.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together butter and sugar until no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary and mix for about 30 seconds. On low-speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Turn off the mixer and fold in the oats mixture with a rubber spatula.

Roll dough into small balls, approximately 1 1/2 inches across. Flatten slightly. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 16-18 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through, until cookies are medium brown and the edges are set. The cookies should appear slightly under baked in the center. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.