CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES WITH CHERRIES + PECANS

I'm fresh off a girls road trip to Napa, California. We stayed at a wonderful hotel in Calistoga called Solage, rode bikes to local wineries, ate, laughed and participated in a self led water aerobics class. We think we're so funny, the lounging pool folk may attest otherwise. We enjoyed a personal tour and tasting at Kelly Fleming's vineyard, and chatted around her big farmhouse table. I get so inspired when I watch people pursue what they love. It is absolutely gorgeous up there. As a Southern California girl, I am awe struck by the landscape that is a mere 8 hours north.

My kitchen has been quiet the past few days, so we're sharing a recipe we had posted on The Kitchn earlier this week. Tara at Seven Spoons posted a version of this recipe quite a ways back, and her images haven't left my mind since. I knew that when I next committed to make a decadent, buttery, serious business cookie, this would be the one. Her post was about a year ago, which goes to show I don't have the self control to make 'serious business' cookies very often. They certainly met my expectations. After a year of thinking about them, they materialized into the soft centered, slightly crisp exterior I had hoped they'd be.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES WITH CHERRIES + PECANS// Makes 24 cookies

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

If you like a salty bite to your sweets, I would suggest giving them a sprinkle of sea salt just before you put them in the oven. Pairs perfectly with cold milk or some vanilla bean ice cream.

1 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped coarse
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces OR chocolate chips

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1/2 cup cane sugar
1/2 cup muscavado/ light brown sugar
1 extra large egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)

Use parchment paper or a silpat* to line several standard baking sheets and set aside.

In a bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the oats, pecans, dried cherries and chocolate.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a whisk and a strong arm, cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.

With the mixer down to low, add the flour mixture to the bowl until just combined. Finally incorporate the oats, nuts, fruit and chocolate. Do not overmix. Let the mixture chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Roll these portions lightly between your hands in about 3 Tbsp. size portions, then place on each baking sheet, spaced evenly. Wet your hands and lightly press the dough to a 1-inch thickness. Bake the cookies, two trays at a time, in a preheated oven for 9-10 minutes. They should appear slightly undercooked, just let them cool completely.

Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

* You can find a silpat at Bed Bath and Beyond or Amazon. They keep the bottoms on cookies or biscuits from burning, while also creating a non-stick surface. They come in a few sizes, so be sure it fits the measurements of your cookie sheet!

THE COOKIE PERSON.

At some point in my life, after I master the art of self control, I would like to perfect an incredible cookie of my own. By that, I mean the kind of cookie where when you go to a picnic or potluck, they request that you bring 'your' famous cookies. I imagine that would be the ultimate compliment. Now, I am always the 'salad person', which seems fitting. I have been craving a cookie with the ideal personality; slight crunch of the crust, soft center, studded with chocolate and/or oats. The ladies below seem to have one of those famous cookie recipes I speak of, and when I trust that I would not eat all two dozen of them myself, I will make each of these. That may be a ways off from now, but I wanted to pass on the links to you, who I assume has less of a cookie binging complex.

** The reputation for these Chocolate Chip cookies have made their way through blogs, twitter and what not. This lovely lady is hosting baking classes of her own in Seattle now, so if you live anywhere near there, I suggest you hone your skills in one of Ashley's classes. She clearly knows what she's doing.

** When I saw Tara's Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cherry Chip cookies, I sent this link to every sweets lover I've ever known, as I had never seen such a tempting cookie picture. Seriously, look at that and tell me you don't want a glass of milk and one of those beauties. I must mention, her poetic writing is reason enough to read through every single entry.

** Because I always have my gluten free people in mind, Joy's Peanut Butter Cookies look decadent with that little chocolate goodness on top. Or, if you are a friend of gluten, I trust Dana's stamp of approval on this version as well (and appreciate that she halved the sugar!).

** Lastly, because this recipe restored my personal baking confidence, you should probably try these Oat'Nana Pucks and then bring me some.

As much as I encourage these as written, remember to use unbleached flours, aluminum free baking powder, and natural cane sugars when you can. Happy weekend. Stay warm, hug people and eat well. In that order, specifically.

GREEK YOGURT ICE CREAM

The season does not matter, it is ALWAYS an appropriate time for ice cream. I know there are a few wackies out there who are ‘not dessert people’, but ice cream… greek yogurt… cookie chunks and cinnamon? Come on. I will MAKE you a dessert person.

The original thought was to do a light, refreshing frozen yogurt. But somehow, seeing as it was Hugh’s birthday and all, we ended up with rich, creamy goodness with big chunks of fresh cookie strewn throughout. It seemed the best option, since I normally get scolded for digging out the cookies from our store bought cookies n’ cream. This was my turn to give back after all the caverns I’ve carved through many ice cream cartons past.

GREEK YOGURT ICE CREAM WITH GOODIES // Makes a rough half gallon // Ice cream maker necessary, organic dairy products preferable

2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Cups Whole Milk

2 Cups Greek Yogurt

6 Extra Large Organic Egg Yolks

1 ½ Cups Granulated Sugar, Divided

1 Tbsp. Ground Cinnamon

2 Cups Fresh Chocolate Chip Cookies, Roughly Chopped*

Pinch of Salt

*Make your own chocolate chip cookies if you have time to spare. If you use store bought, Immaculate Baking Co. makes a natural product , as does Pillsbury with their new ‘Simply’ branding.

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring the cream, milk and one cup of sugar to a simmer. Stir to dissolve the sugar and scald the cream. Turn off the heat and let it sit a moment. Stirring to cool off.

2. In a large heat proof bowl, whisk the egg yolk with remaining half cup sugar. Add a half cup of the warm cream mix to the egg yolks and whisk to bring the temperature up as to not scramble the eggs. Add remaining cream mix to the yolks and incorporate.

3. Pour the mix back into the saucepan, and simmer on medium low and whisk periodically. The mixture should thicken enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. About 10 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. In a larger bowl, make an ice water bath. Put the saucepan in the ice bath to cool to room temperature. Stir every once in awhile. This will take about ten minutes.

5. Add the cinnamon and greek yogurt and whisk well to combine. Put in the fridge to cool for a half hour.

6. While this is cooling, bake your cookies. Bake them a good two minutes less than normal so you get a very soft, delicate, almost raw cookie.

7. Pour the cold cream mixture in the ice cream maker, and turn it on. All makers are different, it will probably take about a half hour for it to firm up. Add in the cookies when it is the consistency of soft serve. Transfer to a container and freeze for a few hours to harden, or overnight. Stays fresh about 4 days.