Choffee Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Yes, you are reading the title correctly "choffee" - it's a combo of chocolate and coffee if you hadn't guessed. I felt like chocolate coffee cherry oatmeal cookies was a mouthful - but, you'll want a mouthful of cookie after reading this recipe! Seriously, I think I'm funny, even if no one else does...:)

This cookie is more an everyday representation of a dessert that I'd usually make because it's actually, hmmm...lite? better for you? lower fat? What do you call it when you want people to try them?

But for real, I don't make giant layer cakes and full fat sweets and sit around eating them (well, maybe sometimes) all the time. I usually save those for holidays, special occasions, celebrations, etc. However, this cookie tastes like its worthy of a celebration. The recipe uses regular butter and cocoa, just less of it; and the oatmeal adds healthy grains and fiber.

The result is a thin lace-like oatmeal cookie that's crispy on the outside and chewier in the middle. Dried cherries give a sweet/sour bite and the coffee enhances the cocoa - and really the entire cookie. The coffee was my glorious addition.

I didn't encounter any troubles with the dough, it's just a little sticky.

Otherwise, I'd recommend using heaping teaspoons when scooping the dough out and make sure to actually space them out the full 1 1/2 inches apart, they will spread. Maybe I didn't do this on one of the pans....

Here's the recipe, adapted from WeightWatchers.com.

Ingredients: for 36 cookies

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked oatmeal (not instant)
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 2 tbsp instant coffee granules
  

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF
• Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a small bowl; set aside
• Place room temperature butter into bowl of a mixer and mix with a paddle attachment until smooth, or beat with an electric mixer
• Slowly pour granulated sugar in an even stream into butter and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes
• Pour in brown sugar, mix until incorporated and then scrape mixture down from sides of bowl
• Slowly beat in each egg one at a time until incorporated
• Slowly beat in flour mixture until incorporated
• Scrape mixture down from sides of bowl and stir in oatmeal, coffee granules and dried cherries (Note: Freeze dough at this point or continue for baking)
• Scoop rounded (HEAPING) teaspoonfuls of dough onto a nonstick sheet pan, a pan lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat about 1 1/2 inches apart
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are set
• Let rest on pan on cooling rack until cool and then transfer to rack to cool completely
• Serve cookies or stack between sheets of waxed paper in an air-tight container and freeze for up to two weeks before serving
• Yields 1 cookie per serving

*These are rich and taste really good broken up over lite vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt; or if you're Brad, take two and make an ice cream sandwich.