Oatmeal Apricot Cranberry Pecan Cookies

 

 

 

The key to the unique flavor of this cookie is the California apricots. The combination of apricots, cranberries and toasty pecans in an oatmeal cookie base are wholesome and satisfying. Interestingly enough, I have also heard they are fantastic with beer - in fact, some people call these Beer Cookies!

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon McCormick's pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup Florida Crystals cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups uncooked Quaker 1-minute oats
1 cup California apricots, chopped
2/3 cup Craisins dried cranberries, chopped
1 cup pecans, whole or pieces, for garnish

Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting. Twenty minutes is generally a good amount of time - the butter needs only to yield to the pressure from one finger to be sufficiently softened.

Place baking rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 

Prepare standard sized cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, and optional but recommended salt. Whisk until incorporated, and set aside.

Using a stand mixer, install the paddle attachment. Place butter and sugars in the mixing bowl, and turn speed to "medium". Cream the butter and sugars together until fully incorporated and slightly fluffy - this will take about four minutes.  To ensure even mixing, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula at the two minute mark.

Turn speed on mixer down to "low" and add one egg. As the egg pulls away from the wall of the mixing bowl, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on "low", allowing to fully incorporate. Repeat with the second egg.

Add vanilla extract.

 

Continuing to mix on speed "low", add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture at a time, briefly increasing and then decreasing the speed to fully incorporate the flour, without overworking the dough.  Turn off machine and scrape down the sides of mixing bowl. 

Continuing to mix on speed "low", add oats 1 cup at a time, briefly increasing and decreasing speed to fully incorporate, without overworking the dough.

Turn speed on mixer to "stir", and add in the apricots, and cranberries. This should only take about twenty seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and stir the dough by hand with a spatula if needed, until evenly incorporated.

Using a #40 sized cookie scoop (1 2/3 tablespoons), or two spoons, place mounds of cookie dough on cookie sheet, with a couple of inches of space between them.

Note: If the dough is very soft at this stage and does not retain its shaped when scooped,  refrigerate for fifteen minutes, or until slightly firm. This will help the cookie dough release from the cookie scoop or spoons more easily, and will help the cookies retain their shape while baking. A too-soft cookie dough will spread undesirably when baking, that much is guaranteed.

Press a pecan (or pieces) into the top of each cookie, flattening the dough slightly. There will now be about 1 inch of space between the cookies. A standard sized cookie sheet will hold one dozen cookies (3 cookies vertically x 4 cookies horizontally).

Bake for 6 minutes and rotate the pan. Check for doneness in 5 more minutes.
 

If cookies still appear puffed and moist, continue to cook for at least another minute. They are technically finished after the cookies fall a bit, and the exterior of the dough looks dry.  You can continue to bake to desired darkness. Cookies will vary from chewy to crispy, depending on baking time. The longer they bake the crispier they will be when cooled. When cooled, the lighter cookies will be brown around the edges with a soft and chewy center, and the darker will yield a more uniformly caramelized and crispy treat. (All shades are delicious, and I often cook each sheet pan differently, on purpose, knowing that people have different preferences.)

Store in an airtight container, or in the fridge for up to one week.

If you don't need all the cookies at once, you can flash freeze the unbaked dough. To do this, portion the dough onto a cookie sheet. There is no need to allow space in between them since you are not baking them. Freeze for an hour, or until they are solid. Then they can be transferred to a freezer bag to save room.

When ready to bake, bring to room temperature, generally about twenty minutes. Press a pecan
(or pieces) onto the top, and proceed with baking as directed.

Yield: Three+ dozen

Revised from my original recipe published October 13, 2010