Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate and Cherries
From My Baking Addiction

John and I have a somewhat limited sweet tooth, so we typically go against the grain and opt NOT to give up sweets for Lent, since it wouldn’t be a big sacrifice anyhow.  But for some reason, perhaps my natural joy in having something others can’t (very Catholic of me, I know) or maybe the sudden influx of Girl Scout Cookies popping up everywhere, but come March I start craving some serious sugar.

This, of course, is contradictory to what I should be craving in March: a beach-ready figure (which is top of John’s mind as well, I’m sure…haha).  And I swear I am being 100% honest when I say that I tried to work out yesterday, but our cable box is very finicky and the OnDemand workout show I wanted to do wouldn’t load.  So I made cookies instead.  True story.  I was ultimately trying to procrastinate from studying, and both activities were valid options.

Luckily I made ONE smart decision in all of this, which is to freeze 2/3 of the dough for later.  Well, two smart decisions really, because I don’t regret making these cookies in the first place.  Even though the flavor profile is decidedly fall, they are the perfect treat on these last few chilly days of winter.  The pumpkin doesn’t add as much flavor as it does moist, fluffy texture.  And if you’re a white chocolate lover like John, you’ll love their unique flavor in combination with the tart cherries.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling, pure pumpkin)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped (you could substitute cranberries, but the cherries are tarter and a great match with the white chocolate)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Use a whisk to combine flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and both sugars.  Mix on medium speed until butter and sugars are creamed together.
4. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extra.  Mix until well combined.
5. Slowly add flour mixture.  Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Fold in the white chocolate and cherries.
7. Drop heaping tablespoons onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Be sure to leave about 2 inches between each cookie.*
8. Bake 13-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely.