Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

I’m happy to report that my tastebuds are back to normal! I thoroughly enjoyed all of my meals and snacks today, especially breakfast. Before heading off to my first class, I had a bowl of oatmeal with some roasted Korean sweet potato mixed in, and it was fabulous! Definitely my favorite way to eat oatmeal. I’m going to have it again tomorrow. 🙂

I even had a craving yesterday! For some reason, I really wanted some of my mom’s oatmeal cookies, even though I got to eat them on almost a daily basis when I was home. I know that I’m biased, but I think they are the BEST oatmeal cookies ever. They have a lovely crisp exterior and are filled with dried cranberries, which provide a nice tart contrast to the sweet cookies.

This is a pretty standard oatmeal cookie recipe – oats, flour, sugars, egg, butter, and (this is where it gets weird)… olive oil! According to my mom, olive oil is the secret to the crispyness of the cookies. I love what the olive oil does for the texture of the cookies, and the taste is unnoticeable. The cookies are just not the same without it!

My mom has been making these oatmeal cookies for years and everyone loves them. Even my grandpa, who rarely eats dessert, really enjoys these cookies. Until recently, I used to bring along a batch of freshly baked oatmeal cookies whenever I went to visit him, but now my grandpa bakes them himself!

If my 72-year-old grandpa, who had never cooked anything before in his entire life, learns how to bake, just so he can have oatmeal cookies anytime he wants, then they must really be amazing! 🙂

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Source: my mom’s recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter, olive oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.

4. Add flour mixture to butter/sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in oats and dried cranberries.

5. Scoop 1-inch round balls of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, placing them 2 inches apart.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 13-15 minutes, until browned and crispy. Cool on wire rack and store in an airtight container at room temperature.