I love making cookies.
And so this week, I’ve been making them like crazy! I hope your ready for an overload in that department.
If we’re being real here – and I hope we always are – it’s been a baking therapy kind of week. It keeps my mind busy. Distracted. Away from my cellphone, gchat, twitter, skype and facebook. Amen to that.
Cookies are a great distraction from the harder things in life. Because life – no matter how charmed, delightful, and wonderful it really is – is real. And real life means real emotions. Real life means accepting answers you may not like, letting go of things you love, working really hard at working even harder, and keeping all your ducks in a row like a real grown up. And we all know being a grown up is hard work, man. Let’s be real on that one.
This is the part where we bake cookies and eat them and feel all better… edible inspiration.
Cookies are always the answer. Cookies are like magic for lifting any mood.
Compared to real life… a messy kitchen can seem like such a speck of an issue. Dirty dishes? No problem. That 5 lb. bag of flour spilling all over my floor, counters, and cat – totally fixable. Sorry cat…
In this cookie we have chocolate – 3 times: milk, semi sweet, and white melt together like magic. I love chocolate so much.
And there’s some cranberries too! Cranberries are tart. Cranberries are sweet. Cranberries are pretty little ruby gems. and I adore baking with them. They’re so unique.
Old fashioned oats and a touch of cinnamon combined with the crisp burst of berries and oozing chocolate bake up into one seriously beautiful cookie distraction.
You know what else makes a good distraction?
Good friends to share your cookies with.
It’s all good with cookies and friends. So friends: here’s some cookies.
Triple-Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies – adapted from Bon Appétit | December 2004
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 ounces milk chocolate or white chocolate, chopped (for drizzling)
- BakerbyNature note: I had a lot of trouble melting down white chocolate chips; I would recommend either using white chocolate roughly chopped then melted down, or just sticking with milk chocolate.
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and oats and stir until blended. Stir in all chocolate chips and cranberries.
Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are light brown, about 16 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.
Stir chopped milk chocolate in top of double boiler until melted and smooth. Using small spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cookies in zigzag pattern. Let stand until milk chocolate sets, about 1 hour. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)
perfect for t’giving!
I was thinking the same thing! Double the batch if you have a big family… I had one friend fess up to eating 6 in less than an hour.
The white chocolate drizzled cookies look divine!
It was a little tricky to drizzle; it wanted to dry up faster than I could handle, but it turned out wonderful in the end.
What a GREAT cookie! I love that you did triple chocolate, cranberries AND oatmeal! Healthy, yet decadent! ….right?!
It is all about balance, Ann! 🙂
I’m so jealous you can get fresh cranberries! The cookies sound sooo good and look absolutely delcious!
I was so excited to see fresh cranberries on the shelf myself! I obviously had to buy them and get busy.
I have just post a recipe of oatmeal cookies. It’s very hard to get fresh cranberry in Australia. I would love to try your recipe with dried cranberry as the triple choc sounds too delicious!
I think dried cranberries would work too, and the triple chocolate is as decadent as it sounds 🙂
Let me know if you try it with the dried ones and how it turns out, please.
x
Wow, the cookies sure look great! Would love to try them out soon! Actually, Im lokonig for a no-bake cookie recipe that I can use to make some cookies for my wedding door gift Will these melt under room temperature? And how long can I keep them for, say in the fridge? Thanks for sharing!
Averie – yessss! That sounds like a wonderful idea 🙂
I am a huge fan of oatmeal cookies…those look divine with cranberries and chocolates.
Love your autumn themed header.
Thank you, Angie! I love this header too, and these cookies are an amazingly decadent twist on classic oatmeal ones.
These look divine. You have too many photos in this post – its like torture going through them:)
I’m sorry you had to go through all that chocolate drizzled torture, my dear.
These cookies look delicious, and I completely agree. Cookies make everything better–guaranteed every time. 🙂 Wouldn’t mind a few right now….even though it’s only 10 a.m., ha!
Nothing wrong with a 10 am cookie (or 3) 🙂
Ashley, these cookies look awesome, 3 kinds of chocolate and cranberries, and yes oats…delicious! Your pictures are great as well.
Hope you have a wonderful week and thanks for this fabulous recipe 🙂
Juliana, Thank you! I loved this recipe, and definitely see it coming back out closer to the holidays.
Love this post! It’s so true – cookies and friends (and maybe bread), make the world a better place. These look delicious.
Cookies, friends, and bread makes the world (at least mine and yours) a much sunnier place 🙂
These look awesome! I love cranberries in baked goods, but I’ve actually only used dried ones before. I’ll have to try baking with fresh ones this fall/winter!
Maggie- fresh is so so much better! Don’t get me wrong, I love the dried ones, but fresh has a totally different punch to it.
Drizzling cookies with chocolate is a genius idea! You took it to a new level! 🙂
I try and squeeze in a little extra chocolate wherever I can.
These cookies look scrumptious. And I especially love that drizzle on top!
The drizzle made them extra decadent aka perfect.
These cookies look so good. I’m getting hungry!
I’m mentally sending you cookies right now 🙂
Great cookies for Christmas gift. Book marked! Thanks for sharing.
Yay! I’m definitely gifting these too 🙂
hmmmm! these look Chewy and crispy!!!
Chewy and crispy is the way to go!
These looks divine! I love how they look so moist…yumm!
Divine is the exact word I would use to describe these babies.
These look so pretty and sound so yummy. Chocolate and cranberries together — how intriguing!
Chocolate and cranberries are delightful together.
Oh! Look at those beautiful cranberries! I love cranberries and need to get some soon. Their season is far too short. And I’m with you – cookies can solve/fix anything. 🙂
Their season really is too short; blink and you miss them!
Mmm these look delicious!
Thanks, Rach. They were quite the decadent treat.
give me a couple of these and i’ll be contented for the rest of the day!!
Amen to that!
Oh my… these cookies look soooo good! If I bake these I know I will lose my control and finish the whole batch before I give away to someone else…. how do you even control your desire to eat these. I’m so scared to bake because of that. I love sweets and bad part is I have absolutely no control (with confidence). Sigh. These cookies are one of the best cookies I’ve seen lately. Yum!
Nami – I wish I could say I have self control, but I try not to lie…
Make them and freeze half the batch, that way you only do partial diet damage 🙂
Yum! I love cranberries baked into holiday goodies! Definitely a treat.
Cranberries instantly transport me into the holiday spirit, love em!
“””Cookies are a great distraction from the harder things in life””””
Soooooooo true. Beautifully said….. Baking cookies has been my therapy, my great distraction.
Cranberries. Chocolate. Cinnamon.
The combination is like the scents of my childhood.
I put this in my faves. Can’t wait to make them. DeLish. thank you! x
Yay! You’re going to love them 🙂
Wow, these look amazing!
Thanks, Jamie Anne! I wish I had a way to share them with everyone.
I tend to avoid making too many cookies and cakes – it’s much too much of a test of my already weak willpower. These are beautiful though – don’t suppose you take orders to ship by mail? 😀
For you, Charles, I would try my best 🙂
Messy kitchens can be a distraction from the “real” as well. They are not as delicious as cookies, so I like your distraction better. GREG
So true, Greg. I’ve actually been avoiding the eye sore mountain of pots and pans just waiting to distract me from real life this morning.
wow…sounds scrumptiously tasty..
awesome presentation..with great cliks..
first time here…love your space..
happy to subscribe u..;)
do stop by mine sometime..
Tasty Appetite
Hi Jay. I’m so glad you have been enjoying your time here, and thank you for your kind words.
Cookies ARE always the answer! These look great. Love the 3 kinds of chocolate and the oatmeal.
Triple chocolate makes me quite happy 🙂
Baking therapy is the best possible kind of therapy in the world. I love it too.
So so true. I’m glad we share that love 🙂
these cookies have that pick me up look 😀 sharing food with friends is the best thing 🙂 love your blog ! thanks for stopping by
Cookies are the world’s best pick me up… and coffee, too. I’m so happy I found you and you found me!