Kitchen Wench

It seems like the internet has suddenly gotten really boring. Or at least, everyone else’s blogs have gotten really boring. Sadly, I don’t think I’m any exception to this rule; I’m just treading water until I have to move and start my new job. I thought about making up some lie for a blog entry, like the harrowing tale of my first foray into competitive eating during which I stuffed down 20 burritos in less than 5 minutes… er, well, you get the idea. Needless to say, the reality is much more mundane, but I did make some decent oatmeal cookies and I’ll share the recipe here.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

• 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup desicated coconut (dried, unsweeted coconut)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped dried Fuji apple pieces (You can use regular dried apple, but Fuji apples are much sweeter and flavorful. They sell them in my local Costco store.)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Grease or line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Stir together oats, flour, coconut, cinnamon, soda, and salt in a bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add oat mixture and beat until combined. Stir in dried apples.
4. Drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Make sure to flatten the cookies, as they will not spread much during baking and look pretty lumpy otherwise. Bake until golden, about 10-12 minutes.