Work has constantly intruded on my baking activities this holiday season– which is really a shame on so many levels. There is something about a flour strewn kitchen, multiple pots and pans stacked in the sink awaiting Sous Chef’s grumbling assistance, and the smell of baking dough that puts me into a holiday spirit—just like Christmas potpourri does.
This is my second year participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I find it exciting to send out bundles of cookies to discerning foodies, to receive cookies I haven’t tried before, and to discover new bloggers and their blog sites. Plus it is a great way to support Cookies for Kids Cancer as the efforts of the food bloggers involved help raise substantial funds for this worthy cause.
This year I have received some tasty morsels from Kathleen of Fearlessly Creative Mammas, Alison of Rosie Discovers, and Andrea of Cooking with Mamma C. From Cooking with Mamma C there were delicious Festive Italian Cookies and from Rosie Discovers there were scrumptious Oatmeal Sugar Cookies that packed a whole lot of goodness in every bite! As if that weren’t enough, I shamelessly hoarded from Sous Chef and my work colleagues a package of Applesauce Cookies from Fearlessly Creative Mammas. Make sure to visit their websites for some terrific cookie recipes.
My contribution was the Winter’s Dream cookie, a twist on the traditional oatmeal cookie. I think white chocolate and cherries are natural partners, and almond butter is an all-time favorite of mine. By combining oatmeal with these ingredients and adding a few holiday spices, such as cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg, I achieved a holiday cookie that was colorful, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and redolent of holiday scents. And the process was fun since my Vita Mix makes whipping up almond butter a breeze and it is always good to exercise my Kitchen Aid mixer from time-to-time to keep it and me sharp.
This cookie is great for snacking, dipping, or making ice cream sandwiches. Enjoy your cookies and your holiday season!
- • 3 cups old fashioned oats
- • 1 cup all-purpose flour
- • 1 teaspoon baking soda
- • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- • ½ teaspoon ground ginger (can omit if you have allergy to ginger)
- • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- • 1//2-teaspoon cardamom
- • ¼ teaspoon salt
- • 8 ounces unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- • 1 cup almond butter (smooth or chunky)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 2 cups dried cherries
- 1 bag white chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place racks so oven is divided into thirds.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the almond butter, butter, sugar and brown sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one (1) at a time, and beat for a minute after each addition. Add the vanilla, turn mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients only until just blended. Add the almonds, cherries, and white chocolate chips and mix for thirty seconds.
- Cover and refrigerate dough for two (2) hours. (Chilling the dough helps to get more evenly shaped cookies.) Once dough is chilled, scoop up with a tablespoon and roll into a ball in your hand and place on baking sheet approximately two (2) inches apart.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes. The cookies should be golden in color and just firm around the edges. Transfer cookies from baking sheet to wire rack to cool and firm-up as they cool. They make a great ice cream sandwich, but are terrific on their own as well.
These sound so good! I’d have to skip the cardamom due to an allergy, but I’m sure there’s enough delicious flavor there to enjoy. Thanks for the recipe and for including me in your post!
Hi Andrea – loved your cookies! You can definitely skip the cardamom, ginger also works nicely with the recipe 🙂
These look great Christy!! How lucky your recipients are!! 🙂
But no bottle of wine in the ingredients?? *wink*
These look good, Christy. So many of my favorite ingredients. I’ll have to give them a try. Thanks for letting me know about the swap. As you said, it was fun to try new cookies and learn about some new websites. See you Friday?
Oooh, all the different flavors in these cookies sound wonderful! Almonds, cherries, white chocolate, oats, some of my favorite foods.