Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Do not let these rustic cookies fool you. With some staple pantry ingredients you can create a rich chewy chocolate cookie worthy of devouring again... and again.  

Chocolate Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies ( One Smart Cookie by Julie Van Rosendaal)

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makes approximately 20 cookies

1/4 cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg or 2 large egg whites

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries, cherries or chopped dried apricots

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until well blended. It will have the consistency of wet sand. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla and beat until smooth. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, oats, baking soda and salt. Add to the sugar mixture and stir by hand until almost combined; add the cranberries and stir just until blended.

Drop fairly large spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set around the edges but still soft in the middle. They will seem a little undercooked but will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Notes: I used large flaked oats as that is all I had. I lined the baking tray with baking parchment instead of spraying with a non-stick cooking spray. I found 10 minutes was the right amount of baking time however ovens do vary.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend considering what's happening around the world; and adhering to all social measures being implemented wherever you may be. Stay safe! - JD