Froatmeal Cookies?

Ten weeks.  That's right.  It took ten weeks for us to recover from Christmas cookie overload.  We want cookies again!  We're poking around in the freezer hoping to stumble on some forgotten package of Christmas goodies.  They're long gone.


I've been trying to eat lighter and healthier.  Really!  I have!  But cookies are tough.  Good cookies, with the exception of cookies based on egg whites (yum!) really do require some rich ingredients.  So, I whipped up oatmeal cookies with fruit and dark chocolate.  Not exactly health food, but maybe the oatmeal will help clear our arteries of the butter?  And the chocolate and dried fruit are loaded with antioxidants.  There, you see -- almost healthy cookies!

But what to call them?  Anyone remember Frookies?  I think they were fruit sugar or fruit juice based cookies?  How does Froatmeal sound?  Like something a frog would eat?

Oh!  And lest there be any confusion, these are great. I bundled half the dough and packed it into the freezer so I won't chow down on too many!

Froatmeal Cookies

1 cup dried cherries and diced dried apricots (mixed)
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup boiling water

2 cups oatmeal (not instant)
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with butter.

Pour the orange juice and boiling water over the dried fruit and let sit.

In a bowl, mix together the oatmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Cream the butter with the sugars.  Add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.  Mix in the vanilla.  Slowly add the oatmeal mixture. 

Pour the liquid off the dried fruit and add the fruit to the dough.  Mix and add the chocolate chips.

A generous tablespoon-size mound makes a 2 1/2 to 3-inch cookie.  No need to flatten, they do that themselves.  Bake 15 minutes.

Cool and eat!

Makes about 26 large cookies.