Chocolate Cherry Coconut Oat Cookies

It’s the first day of December. I say we take full advantage of the holiday season and leave no butter wrapper unturned, no sugar crystal bereft. ‘Tis the season for eating all that stuff that you (pretend to) only eat once a year and wearing elastic waist pants.

Get your leggings ready, mama, because the mayhem is ‘bout to begin.

These cookies, however, are a soft entry. They’re chock full of enough oats that the coconut, chocolate chips, and dried cherries don’t seem as naughty.

This is a cookie about familiarity, with a soft chew that is crisp at the edges and nubby throughout. It’s the kind of cookie that you wanted to come home to after school, lovingly stacked on a plate and still warm from the oven.

This isn’t a cookie that will win many beauty contests. They definitely look like they were homemade, perhaps by someone quite nearsighted at that, but their rustic appeal will warm your heart and fill your belly nonetheless.

If you share these with a friend or a neighbor, they won’t think you’re trying to show off your culinary prowess. They won’t be intimidated. They won’t believe the photos that your ex-boyfriend from college submitted to The Dirty.

You may even be tempted to have a few for breakfast. Just a few, because you’re on the run and they’re a better alternative to the drive thru. You might be on to something, though I admit nothing.

One thing to remember about this unassuming little cookie is that it’s humble looks hide a wealth of flavors and textures within. Dried cherries are doing the box-step with chocolate chips, all while the coconut and oats mud wrestle. It sounds a bit like a frat party, no?

So, you should make these cookies. Because whether you bring them to a cookie swap, potluck, or even keep them on hand for a sweet treat during the day, these cookies will wrap you in a warm gentle hug and pat you sweetly on your shoulder, telling you that layering your hair wasn’t that bad an idea and the frizz doesn’t make your head take on the shape of a pyramid.

And sometimes, those are just the kind of reassurances that we all need.

Chocolate Cherry Coconut Oat Cookies

3 cups oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until softened. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy and light. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Add the vanilla.

With the mixer on low or with a sturdy spoon/rubber spatula, mix in the oat mixture just until it comes together. Add in the chocolate chips, dried cherries, and coconut and mix until combined.

With a scoop or by hand, shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch sized balls and arrange them onto a cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. Bake 18-22 minutes, until the cookies are golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool 2 minutes on the pan, transferring to a cooling rack afterward. Serve.