Cookie, please

Just when we thought we won't see snow again, winter decided to remind us--it is still February! More snow is here. Well, let's put the kettle on, brew some Earl Grey and enjoy it with some delicious home made oatmeal cookies that are good enough to eat for breakfast!

I usually use the recipe on the back of the lid of the Quaker Oats can. The recipe is called "Vanishing Oatmeal Raising Cookies". Only in our house they do not vanish unless I eat them: nobody likes these, especially after my husband started to make his chocolate-chip cookies. I, for one, rather eat oatmeal ones.

But they got boring. A little. So I tried something different. Instead of raisins, I used dried cherries; I added 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips in lieu of white sugar and omitting vanilla extract (since the chips already have some flavor) I added lemon zest. Turned out delicious! Now these were vanishing right before my eyes--everybody loved them!

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Really Vanishing Oatmeal Lemon Cherry Cookies

DRY:

1 1/2 cup all purpose white flour

1 t spoon baking soda

1/2 t spoon salt

3 cups plain quick oats

WET:

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound) softened

2 whole large eggs

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 T spoons lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons)

1/2 pound dried cherries

1/2 pack (1 cup) white chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In a bowl mix together DRY ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and oats, mix with a wooden spoon.
3. In another bowl, mix WET ingredients: butter, eggs and sugar and beat until creamy with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Mix in the zest
4. Combine both DRY and WET and beat for about a minute until all mixed together. Fold in cherries and chocolate chips.
5. Spoon batter by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cooking sheet and bake in pre-heated oven for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oven, let cool on a cookie sheet for 1 minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Enjoy with a cup of fresh brewed tea.

There's an Arabic saying: February comes with no shoe laces tied. But spring will tie them before we know it!