Dark Chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio Cookies
More often than not, I cannot leave well enough alone. Whether it's where a vase sits in the living room, the recipe I can kick up a notch, or even the fonts on this blog - if I think about something for a little too long, I have to change it, make it better.
A few weeks ago you may have clocked a change here on B&B - I finally found some fonts I well and truly loved. So I went back to my developer's emailed instructions, and patiently set to changing them. Thank the sweet Lord for Chris Graver, is all I have to say.
Chris created the backbone of Bluebonnets & Brownies, took a Photoshop-created mock up I made, and turned it into a reality. He's an excellent designer, and all around good guy. Every time I email him, he responds cheerily, and he's always happy to help.
When I decided to mess around with those fonts, I messed a few things up. Chris came to the rescue quick as he could, and fixed it all without even the mention of what I might owe him. I couldn't let that go by without some sort of thank you.
I thought, "I bet Chris would like some cookies", and so I created some cookies that are a little like his personality. Sweet and tart, and a little nutty! (Hi Chris!)
I started with my favorite Saucer-sized oatmeal cookie recipe from Pam Anderson's Perfect Recipe for Having People Over. Seriously one of the best cookie recipes you'll ever find, people.
Make these cookies for someone who's been nice to you. Or even someone who hasn't. It helps to throw 'em off your trail. 😉
Dark Chocolate, Cherry and
Pistachio Cookies
Adapted from Pam Anderson's Saucer Sized Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons butter, melted (2 sticks)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup dried black cherries
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup shelled pistachios
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, oatmeal, and salt. Whisk together to combine and aerate, then set aside.
Melt 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) of butter and allow to cool slightly. Add butter, vegetable oil, and both sugars to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on low to medium speed until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix again.
Incorporate the flour mixture a little at a time on low speed until well mixed in.
Add in dried cherries, chocolate chips, and pistachios (roasted or not, up to you). Mix by hand or on low with the mixer until the add-ins are well combined and mixed through the dough.
Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F.
Place ice cream scoop-sized dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet - roughly 6 to a sheet. Bake for approximately 18 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a moment on the sheet before removing to a cooling rack. Allow to cool for another 5-7 minutes.
Enjoy with a big glass of milk, a strong cup of coffee, and your favorite book.
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Dark Chocolate, Cherry and Pistachio Cookies - - - [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
Whipped up a batch of these tonite -- I think my co-workers will be swooning tomorrow.
Typical for me, I didn't have all the mix-ins, so I substituted 2c of Trader Joe's Trek Mix (macadamias, almonds, cranberries, and candied ginger). YOWZA!!
I liked that the butter is melted (sometimes I'm impatient or didn't buy the butter until THAT EVENING) and that there is a huge amount of oats -- makes a really chewy cookie.
Hi Amber
When is the flour mixture incorporated into this recipe.
Hi
Where did you purchase your dried BLACK cherries, I'm having a hard time finding them,
Jackie, they're available at my regular grocery store in the bulk food area. Whole Foods usually has them and so does Trader Joe's, but you should be able to find Ocean Spray's version pretty easily or you could sub in dried cranberries.
gosh, so many delicious ingredients in these cookies, how could i NOT try it??
Chris is pretty awesome and I love how you described these cookies based on his personality - so accurate! I'm sure he absolutely loved these delicious cookies!
Haha, these are so fun! Even though I can't have pistachios I bet they're delicious even without them. 🙂
Love the combination of cherries and pistachios!
I am crazy for anything oatmeal and find combining it with cherries is a superb pairing!!
Dark cherries and chocolate!! I love the combination. the cookies look really decadent.
These look so tasty. I find cookies irresistible
Thanks, Samantha! I do too. Cookies are one of my favorite things!
I hope Chris loved the cookies! He totally deserves them.
He did, and he does! He's such a good guy.
These look so lovely... I love cherry and pistachio together, and with dark chocolate? Perfect!
I'm thinking that flavor combo would be pretty spectacular in a muffin or pancake too, Jen.
These sound so yummy! Pistachios make me happy.
Funny story, Katrina. I thought I hated them. Then I forced myself to try them again. Holy what was I missing! 🙂
These look so wonderfully crisp and chewy and I love the red and green of the cherries and pistachio!
Thanks, Kathryn. They certainly are chewy. Mmm, I wish I still had some!
These are so colorful! (I feel like I just said that on a recent post of yours...) They look so tasty, love all the flavors in them.
Haha, well, Rachel, I'm definitely a fan of colorful food, so that's okay. Thanks for stopping by!