Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

I know, you're not used to seeing dessert recipes here.  But you're at the right blog!
Sometimes you just need a cookie, you know?

Have you ever noticed how the size of 'miniature' candies is increasing?

When I was a kid, my favorite "miniature" chocolate bar was the Special Dark bar.  Perhaps I was ahead of my time in recognizing the value of dark chocolate?  I just knew I'd trade about anything (I'm talking about you, Bit O' Honey) for Special Dark bars.

When I'm shopping at the grocery store and see Special Dark chips I cannot resist picking up a bag.  These chips find their way into muffins, cookies, and my kids' mouths.  I love chocolate and cherries,
so when I needed to bake some cookies I figured I'd combine some of my pantry stash of dried Michigan cherries in a basic oatmeal cookie recipe to make some magic.  I made this twice--once for a sled hockey tournament and once for my spouse's work event.  They were well-received each time, so I thought I'd share them here.  Here ya go:

Now I'll share the recipe, so you can enjoy them with your mouth, not your eyes.  The past few days have been painful and we could all use a cookie. I know chocolate always helps me.

Double Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies (this is a double batch, there's a reason)

(this recipe is adapted from the Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, by Kim Walior, on the back of the Costco chocolate chip bag in the photo)

2 sticks butter
1/3 cup shortening (see Note)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup Special Dark chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries, snipped into small pieces

I like to mix up my cookie batter, like my pizza dough, at least a day in advance.  I think it's better--so does the New York Times.  So my instructions aren't going to start with 'preheat the oven'.  In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer), combine the butter, shortening, and sugars until well mixed.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.  Dump the dry ingredients on top (baking soda through flour) and mix well.  Dump oats on top, and continue mixing another minute, then dump in the chocolate chips and cherries and mix until combined.  Transfer dough to a container and chill overnight or up to 3 days.

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Scoop the batter onto a sheet of parchment or directly on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 9-10 minutes, then remove from oven and cool on the cookie sheet another minute or two before transferring to a cooling rack.

Note:  This recipe calls for both butter and shortening.  The original recipe called for packing a 2/3 cup measure with the stick (1/2 cup) of butter and filling up the remainder of the space with shortening.  I hate to create extra dishes, so I kept my stick of butter in the wrapper and used shortening in stick form--the difference between 1/2 cup and 2/3 cup is 2 and 2/3 Tablespoons.  That's a pain to measure, in my opinion.  Know how I get around it?  I make a double batch of cookies.  Doubling that 2 and 2/3 Tablespoons of shortening makes 1/3 cup of shortening, which is quite easy to see on the stick.  One shortening stick makes 3 double batches of cookies.  And shortening keeps in the pantry a good while.  It's simple, and easy, and just a little bit better than plain butter.  Try it!

This post is playing with the other happy eaters at What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns In My Oven, and the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up at Gastronomical Sovereignty, What's In The Box at In Her Chucks, Taste and Tell Thursdays, the Farm Girl Blog Fest at Let This Mind Be In You, the Clever Chicks Blog Hop at The Chicken Chick and Foodie Friends Friday, Food on Friday (twice) and Tasty Tuesdays.