Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies

I made cookies today and they are delicious!

I've been meaning to make these cookies for about a week now. I can't remember what exactly instilled the idea in my head but I was able to gather up some extra ingredients yesterday and whipped some up this morning.

The basic oatmeal recipe is based off the one found in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I cut the amount of butter it called for in half and added less sugar since the cranberries would add a sugar rush of their own. It also called for buttermilk. I initially thought I could use evaporated milk to substitute. Apparently, according to various cooking websites and forums, this is a big no-no. I would have either had to add water and sour it with vinegar or use yogurt. As odd as it may sound, I used yogurt. The cookies have more of a bread consistency (moist) than a cookie consistency (dry) but they are packed full of flavor and smell delicious.

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies with Powdered Sugar

  

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar*

1/4 white sugar*

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1/2 cup plain yogurt **

2 eggs

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 teaspoon of each:

-cinnamon

-nutmeg

-baking soda

-baking powder

-salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 to 1 cup dried cranberries

Optional: 

Powdered sugar

A pair of lab goggles (For those of you who are prone to spraying citrus juices in your eyes.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine sugar, butter, and eggs and mix evenly. Add yogurt.

Slowly stir in flour and oats then add the rest of the ingredients.

Spoon out onto a greased cookie sheet and bake in oven for 8-10 minutes.***

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

 And just for kicks and giggles, I plated a cookie with fruit.

Side Notes:

*You can use all brown sugar or all white. The flavor and color of the cookie may be a tad different since brown sugar is colored with molasses.

**You can choose not to add yogurt/buttermilk. Most oatmeal recipes don't have a milk-like product in the ingredients. The cookie will be drier.

***With the oven I use it took a little over 9 minutes on the top rack. Don't use a lower rack because the bottoms may burn.