Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Cookies

I've established that cupcakes make me crazy and cheesecake makes me melt. Everyone's got top 3 favorites in everything right? My favorite desserts 1.) Cupcakes, 2.) Cheesecake, 3.) COOKIES! You just can't go wrong with cookies! There is nothing like a warm, fresh-out of the oven chocolate chip cookie...NOTHING! I've been trying out different types of cookies beyond your average chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin and the like (not that there is anything wrong with those but I'm on a mission to learn!)

I'm not huge on fruity desserts. Some are great but I prefer the rich, gooey, chocolatey, peanut-butter, cream-cheese-filled concoctions. There is one fruit that I find irresistable though and that is peaches! I remember being a kid and always eating a bowl of peaches and cream oatmeal for breakfast in the winter; it was warm, comforting and creamy. I still find myself spontaneously tossing a box in my shopping cart every now and then when I need to be brought back to those days.

I was browsing my all-time favorite web-site (foodnetwork.com) and came across these peaches and cream oatmeal cookies. Not only do they contain my FAVORITE fruit, but they have nutritional value. Bingo! (Also, I'm sure many other kinds of dried fruits will work well in this recipe. Everyone has different favorites and different tastes. Never fear to play around with it!

Peaches and Cream Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I used about 1/2 a cup of whole wheat flour and 1/4 a cup of regular all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
1 stick butter, softened (I reduced this JUST SLIGHTLY and used "I Cant Believe its Not Butter Light")
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (I actually had a pack of peaches and cream oatmeal so I used about 1/2 a cup of that and 1 cup of oats, they totally made a difference)
1/2 cup chopped dried peaches (I had some dried apricots which I think have a slightly sharper flavor than peaches and they also have a good source of vitamin A so I did 1/4 cup of peaches and 1/4 of apricots just to shake things up)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspooon vanilla extract (the recipe didn't origionally call for this but the "cream" part of the title just kept tugging at me to toss it in, I'm glad I did)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add egg and continue mixing. Slowly add flour mixture, oats, peaches, walnuts, and white chocolate chips. Mix until combined.

Line 2 sheet trays with parchment. With wet hands make 20 balls from the dough placing evenly among sheet trays. Press down on cookie dough with palm of your hand to make a flat circle.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and still a bit tender in the center. Remove from oven and let sit on sheet trays 1 minute. Remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

These came out perfectly! They are just superb when they come right out of the oven so most definitely serve them warm when you can. Also, I saw that I had a significant amount of walnuts and dried fruit left so I packaged up my own personal trail mix. I tossed in some almonds and raisins as well. It can be a great snack while I'm in class or at work and are a perfect blend of protein and good carbs for a before/after workout snack! Final thoughts on this recipe? Very convenient, very flexible, very tasty.

PS: this recipe made me wonder...what is the difference between light and dark brown sugar? I quickly googled it and here's what I found...
Both types of brown sugar are a mixture of granulated sugars and molasses, with dark brown sugar containing more molasses than light brown sugar. Light brown sugar has a delicate flavor while dark brown sugar has a stronger more intense molasses flavor. They can be used interchangeably depending on your personal preference... hmmm learn something new everyday!