i'll take my daily apple* in cookie form

*because "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" and all that...

I'm so tired of oatmeal raisin cookies (although that's not to say I won't eat them when they're available). Why should raisins get all the glory? There are many other and arguably tastier dried fruits out there. Blueberries and cranberries, for example. Better yet, how about CINNAMON APPLES?


You may recall that I received a bounty of treats from Oh! Nuts a while back. Among the goodies were some macadamia nuts (used in some mighty tasty and tropical Aloha Bars) and some sliced dried apples. I've been munching on the apples ever since, but I thought they'd be a unique and perfect add-in to some hearty oatmeal cookies.


Believe it or not, I don't have a go-to oatmeal cookie recipe, but the tried-and-true King Arthur Flour site seemed like a reasonable place to start. While the cookie base was good, I'm certain it could be better, so I won't be stopping my search here. Let me know if you have a winning recipe.


I said that the cookies were good, and I meant it. Chewy and soft, with an appropriate batter-to-mix-in ratio. The apples were definitely a welcome addition, especially since I smothered them with cinnamon before rehydrating them in hot water. The crunchy pistachios and tart cranberries didn't hurt either--I particularly enjoyed their vibrant green and maroon colors.

Doctor-Repellent Oatmeal Cookies
(adapted from this recipe)

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups rehydrated dried apples, drained very well
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup pistachios

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt, and vinegar. Beat in the egg, then the baking soda, flour, and oats. Stir in the apples, cranberries, and pistachios.
Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on a rack.