chewy oat cookies, dotted with dried fruits

My father loves oatmeal raisin cookies. Not just any oatmeal raisins cookies, but Quaker's "Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies," the ones with the recipe on the inside of the lid. (And specifically with a glass of cold milk, too).

My mother thinks they're boring. She'll eat them if you add chocolate chips, but she'd rather just eat chocolate chip cookies. Or just chocolate.

So I made a batch of cookies for Papa (I made a few changes to the recipe even for Papa's "classic Vanishing" version. Don't tell!), but about half I doctored up to suit Mum's tastes. They come out quite pretty, flecked with dried fruit. I like them fine just with fruit, but for Mum's approval then need a dash of chocolate, too.

Jewel Oat Cookies
Adapted from Quaker's "Vanishing Oat Cookies"

1/2 C butter (I use salted for everything, because I'm lazy. If you use unsalted, add a dash of salt to any of my recipes calling for butter)
1 C sugar
1/8 C molasses
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 C oats
1 C raisins
1/2 C dried apricots, diced
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/2 C chocolate chips (optional; actually I advise against it. As much as I love it, chocolate rather overwhelms everyone else in the party)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until they are incorporated, too. Add the flour and baking soda and mix on low until incorporated (Mixing flour on high makes it all fly upward, creating a nice white dust cloud in your kitchen).


Mix in the oats (the recipe asks for less than I put here. But I like oats, especially in this cookie. Just trust me). Add the dried fruit and chocolate.

Put balls of the dough on a cookie sheet, then use the back of a spatula to press each ball down into a thick disk (maybe a half inch in height).

Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are golden.