Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots

Back when my siblings were breaking high school track records, I was in the kitchen whipping up culinary greatness. Can you believe I used to mix cookie dough by hand with a wooden spoon and scooped using two teaspoons? I guess you can say the experience “built character.” Now that I have all the character I can handle, I normally opt for more efficient methods like a mini ice cream scoop and my beautiful green Kitchen Aid mixer.

I’m not sure if it’s the lack of fresh seasonal produce from the long winter or the secret desire for chewy sweetness. But I’ve been craving dried fruits and chocolate lately. My goal with this cookie was to incorporate the flavors of chocolate dipped apricots into a cookie form. While I don’t think they quite accomplished that specific goal, the end result was still pretty darn good.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 stick butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup rolled oats, not instant
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix on low speed using a stand mixer the sugar, brown sugar and butter until completely creamed together. Add the vanilla and egg to the mixture; continue on low speed until well combined.

In a separate medium mixing bowl lightly whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder salt and rolled oats. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet until completely absorbed and combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and apricots by hand to prevent the chocolate chips from breaking.

Lightly the coat cookie sheets with cooking spray or line them with parchment paper. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop the cookies onto the greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for 6 to 12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets. They will look slightly under-baked but will harden some from the heat of the pans. I have found this to be the best way to guarantee perfectly soft cookies each and every time.  Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.