Hopelessly devoted to cookies? Try this spiced take on classic oatmeal

I am puzzling over what to call these cookies.

For roughly 20 years, they’ve just been oatmeal cookies, because these are the ones we make. They have dried cranberries instead of raisins, because all of the people in the world who have been scarred by raisins have scarred me with their raisin trauma.

Not really. I just like dried cranberries.

They’re colorful and fall-seasonal, and they go very nicely with the ginger that’s also been added to this warm, wonderful, seasonal cookie.

There’s an obvious name we could give these cookies (hint: it rhymes with oatmeal-raisin), but sadly, that name is trademarked, and I don’t want any trouble.

And so, as I go about putting this story on the editorial budget, I am struggling. I want to call them cranberry-ginger oatmeal, but then it’s pointed out to me that the oatmeal part should go first. Because they are, first and foremost, oatmeal cookies.

And while oatmeal cookies, by any other name, still taste as sweet, the combination herein, to us, is perfection. Bake them a little longer, and they’ve got more color and bite. A little less and they are chewy.

They’re also wonderfully welcoming at their spicy, little cookie party. So, if you’re the sort who likes to meld the whole chocolate and oatmeal thing, might I suggest some mini-dark or milk chocolate morsels? Or butterscotch. Or peanut butter. On this go-round, I tried toffee bits in one part of the batch (nice). And diced-up candied ginger in another.

Ginger is another thing. I use more than the below, which is a semi-neutralized recipe that I *think*, a long time ago, came from a cookbook. I honestly can’t remember. I just like them spicy. So, if you love ginger, use more. And if you like raisins, be loud and proud and use them, with or without the cranberries. But it’s Thanksgiving. And cranberries are great.

The pignoli cookie is a sweet, simple way to time travel

And as I am wrapping up this cute little blurb about cute little cookies that you might consider for your Turkey Day dessert table, or even for Santa, when you put out the cookies on Christmas Eve (these gluten-free pignoli cookies are another great option, but pricier to make), a mighty bellow comes from the kitchen downstairs. A clever one, too.

“How about CROATMEAL?!!!”

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.

Gingery Croatmeal Cookies (or whatever you want to call them)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In large mixing bowl (stand mixer if you have one), beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 or so seconds or until softened. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda and spices and beat until combined, scraping bowl several times during process.
3. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
4. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer, then stir in remaining flour.
5. Beat or stir in oats.
6. Add cranberries and/or any other chips, dried fruits, etc. you’d like and stir gently until evenly incorporated.
7. Drop dough by roughly rounded teaspoons (mine are more like tablespoons) about 2 inches apart on ungreased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden-brown for softer, chewier cookies. Go a 1-3 minutes longer for a deeper color on top. There are no wrong choices. Cool on wire rack. Makes roughly 30-35 cookies.