Lost and Found Oatmeal Cookies

Oats, butter, dried fruit, nuts, booze, coconut, this cookie has it all

I have 10 or so systems for keeping track of recipes I plan to cook. Tearing out pages from magazines and newspapers was my favorite before print died. Favorite-ing on Photograzing, Tastespotting, and from Flickr Groups are the easiest way to forget a recipe. Epicurious has a pretty good recipe box that Ive successfully been using while browsing food ideas for years. Emailing myself recipes and making simple text documents saved to my computer are the only way I can search for old recipes. If I can remember 1 or 2 ingredients in the missing recipe, technology will do the rest.

And so with a little determination and digging in every possible spot this oatmeal cookie recipe, lost for 3 years, has come back to me! It was on my Mac as part of cocktail party menu, copied from an online version of the Gourmet 2001 recipe. I substitute dried fruit for chocolate. The proportions of this cookie are great, and coconut always adds the oooh factor. Ooh being saturated fat. I discovered the importance of soaking dried fruit with this recipe. Ive brought these healthy cookies to lots of house warming parties, birthdays, and more because they go well with everything and stand as a meal on their own when a group gets together.

Lost and Found Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups finely chopped mix of dried fruit

(raisins, cranberries, figs, apricots, dates, etc.)

1 tablespoon brandy or rum (optional)

hot water

2 sticks (1 cup) butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp molasses

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups finely shredded unsweetened coconut

3/4 cup almonds chopped

Mix dried fruit, booze, and hot water in a bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Strain fruit, pressing to remove excess fluids, and set aside. The juices that drip off the the fruit are excellent with a little bit more brandy. Yum.

Combine butter, sugar, and molasses and beat with a mixer until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in vanilla, baking soda, and salt, and beat for another minute. Add flour and mix until just combine. Add oats, shredded coconut, soaked fruit, and almonds. Mix until just combine. Chill for 2 hours or up to days covered in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drop cookies in 1/4 mounds on to cookie sheets, keeping 2-3 inches between each. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling racks.

Great for dunking in coffee, tea, or milk!