Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies

Picture this if you will. It's midnight. The big guy's in New Orleans walking Bourbon Street and I'm home running around in the back yard trying to save a baby rabbit from the likes of Georgie the huntress and her sidekick Max. It's dark, very very dark and this so called "hero" is night blind as a bat. Shoulda' been a video...talk about a race to the finish!

Fortunately Max responds (eventually) to the word cookie when all else fails and it's a good thing too that I had these Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies on hand...for me. He had his favorite soft concoction courtesy of Blue Dog Bakery. Heaven forbid either of us should eat alone after expending so much energy.

One could say these are "healthy" cookies loaded with fresh apples, dried cranberries, walnuts and oatmeal but alas one would be wrong, particularly when one eats a bunch of 'em; however, they are definitely worth making for their soft chewy interior and crunchy exterior. Just be sure to eat them immediately or store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer because they get really really soft when they sit overnight. Just sayin'.

If you're wondering what happened to the rabbit, Georgie pounced, I caught her, grabbed the rabbit, checked for injuries, cuddled it, gave it some water and walked the neighborhood trying to find the perfect place to set him free. There's just one thing I couldn't quite come to grips with - his life spared, what was gonna' happen to the little gaffer now? Hardly slept a wink worrying about it.

Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup chopped apple without peel

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and set aside. Beat together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth and creamy. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in apple, cranberries and walnuts. Using a 2 ounce cookie scoop, arrange dough 3 inches apart on parchment covered cookie sheets. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until browned around the edges and solid in the middle. Cool on wire racks. Best eaten immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. Makes 2-1/2 dozen medium sized cookies. Download Cranapple Oatmeal Cookies

 

Comments

[Mary]

June, these are wonderful. I think you'll find the ice-box cake is nice, but no where near as good as the cranberry cheesecake. Let me know what you think. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

[Nanan]

That is a fantastic looking cookie! And you are such a softie! You spared that bunny for a while - enjoy that... I am sure if the big guy came home to a bunny farm he would get funny ideas involving some kind of recipe... just sayin' I do like to eat rabbit myself - but no one else in the family does, darn.

[June]

Lea - you are so right on about the big guy and the bunny. It would have been slim pickin's on that little guy though. He was so iddy biddy and cute!