For me, a Super Bowl means football. Football means the Packers. Packers mean Wisconsin. Wisconsin means sour cherries. This is quite the causal chain, huh? If you followed me this far, you’ll probably agree that the obvious dessert for a Super Bowl Party is Door County Cherry Oatmeal Cookies. I can’t really claim credit for these cookies as an original idea. The recipe is based on the cookies I used to have in Door County at places like Wagon Trail and Seaquist Orchards and years of making the Toll House recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Even though I now make the Jacques Torres recipe (always), I still have the Toll House memorized and I use it as the basis for most of my cookie recipe improvisations. These cherry oatmeal cookies are really easy to make. They’re really delicious. You could make the dough this weekend and store it in the fridge until next weekend. Then you could preheat the oven during the third quarter and surprise your guests with hot cookies during the fourth quarter. Or you can bake Cherry Oatmeal Cookies ahead of time and serve them whenever. And once you’ve learned how to make these, they just might become the star in your regular cookie rotation. After all, lots of people bring Chocolate Chip Cookies to parties, but have you ever seen Cherry Oatmeal Cookies at a party? Not unless you’re from Door County like me. I assure you, it’s fun to bring something that’s both unique, as well as familiar enough to tempt even the least adventurous among us. Some things are classic for a reason, like Oatmeal Cookies, and substituting cherries, well, that’s just inspired, like these Cherry Oatmeal Cookies.
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 ¼ cups flour
- 1 ½ cups oats
- 1 cup dried sour cherries (not Bing or Black); rough chopped
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes or even better, coconut chips (I find them at Trader Joe’s)
- Cream butter and sugars for at least two minutes.
- Add eggs one and a time and beat well.
- Add vanilla, soda, salt, and powder and blend briefly.
- Blend in flour.
- Finally mix in oats, cherries, almonds and coconut.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Space slightly flattened two tablespoon balls of dough evenly on a cookie sheet.
- Bake 10-16 minutes depending on the size you make. I like them a little underdone in the center and just barely golden brown around the edges. Hot out of the oven they’re so delicious with some cold milk. Yum.
- Only have instant oatmeal on hand or want to use up some of the gross sweetened flavors? Reduce the sugar by half and add the oatmeal packets in place of oats.
- Use half raisins and half cherries and save yourself some bucks. Only works if you like raisins though, and I, really don't.
How can we order some lovely dried D.C. Cherries?? or even a pie?
You can definitely order pies, cherries, etc. from Seaquist Orchards: http://www.seaquistorchards.com/index.htm. But if you live near a Trader Joe’s, they sell sour cherries in the dried fruit section. It’s way cheaper and easier than mail order. It may be worth a trip because there are lots more dried cherry recipes to come on dirtylaundrykitchen.com. I will definitely get you hooked on them.
i made these cookies for my new room mate- added a few chocolate chips, some ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, omitted the coconut.
I bake a bit and generally like biscotti, but I think i love these the best!
nice recipe!
Glad you enjoyed. I like your modifications, especially this time of year.