PUMPKIN CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES

PUMPKIN CRANBERRY OATMEAL COOKIES image

Number Of Ingredients 18

Dry Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour - I prefer King Arthur's. You could also fresh ground soft white wheat, or a gluten free flour blend
1 cup uncooked oatmeal - quick cooking for a softer cookie, old fashioned or steel cut for a chewier cookie
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Real Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, preferably organic
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably organic - you can substitute more cinnamon if you don't have cardamom
Wet mix ingredients
1 cup (8 ounces) butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large chicken egg or small duck egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup home cooked pumpkin (squash) puree or 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
Ingredients to add last
1 cup dried cranberries or dried tart cherries
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, preferably as crispy nuts

Steps:

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or reusable parchment sheets. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients and set aside. (If you don't want to dirty a bowl for this, you can dump them straight onto the top of your wet mixture, but this ensures they are thoroughly mixed.) Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until well blended. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients and stir gently until blended. Stir in cranberries or tart cherries and chopped nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges and set. Don't overbake! You can use Airbake pans if you're nervous about burning the cookies. These are tender cookies, so you'll need to let them cool for a few minutes on the pan to set up before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.