Food Friday! : White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

I know, I know. It's a mouth full for a cookie's name...

This recipe is adapted from the Oatmeal-Walnut Cookie Recipe that I found on cookinglight.com. With the recent health "events" in my family, I have decided that we (Handsome Hubby and I) eat too many processed foods. My dad's smooth recovery has largely been due to his good health- diet and exercise- and I want to make sure I am doing my part to help us eat healthier. We eat well-balanced meals (especially dinner), but snacking is one area that we are more likely to grab an over-processed item. Hence, the recipe below was born. Albeit, it is still a cookie, but it has some especially delicious and nutritious components that will help us last until meal time. We have certainly enjoyed them! Now to find the balance between too many over-processed foods and too many home baked goods. ;) I reduced the sugars by almost half, which makes this more of a "breakfast" cookie than a dessert.


Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 3/4 cup each of all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour)
2 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped cranberries (or raisins, if you prefer)
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
1/4-1/2 cup chopped white chocolate chips


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Add flour, oats, and salt to egg mixture; beat well. Stir in chopped cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate chips.

Drop by the tablespoon, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (or silpat). To make them more of a flat cookie instead of a thick rounded one, I gently press each dough mound with the flat bottom of a glass cup (see pictures below). I first dip the cup in sugar before flattening each dough mound to prevent the dough from sticking to the cup. Bake at 350º for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; let stand 2 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet; serve warm (although room temperature taste just as great!). Depending on the size of your cookie, this recipe makes approximately 3 dozen cookies and freezes well. Enjoy!

After lightly pressing them with the flat bottom of a cup.