Spiked Cookies

It's always fun & definitely festive to spice up your holiday baking with some alcohol...the alcohol makes me all warm inside! For these cookies, I took my inspiration from Garrett's Brandied Cranberry & White Chocolate cookies. Garrett's recipe does not include oatmeal, & personally, I enjoy oatmeal in my cookies, but too much oatmeal can make a cookie too much like granola and/or a muffin top. I prefer just the right amount of oatmeal for the added chew factor. When I saw Nicole's post for Addictive Chocolate Chip Cookies, I knew this could possibly be what I've been looking for! These cookies are really yummy! I would not call this a really chewy cookie, but it's right in the middle of chewy, buttery, soft, cake-y, & crispy. After a day or two of storage, the crispy edges become soft, but they're definitely crispy right out of the oven. I love the fact that the oatmeal was not overpowering, but would like to add an additional 2 - 3 tablespoons next time, plus possibly a quick whizz in the food processor. Since I used dried cranberries & white chocolate, the cookies became a little sweet for my personal tastebuds...so I plan on reducing the white sugar just a tad more next time. I was really tempted to add just a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg, but refrained since I did not want to mask or overpower any alcohol flavor. The brandy + rum + whiskey combo was definitely subtle, as it normally is in baking, but accented the cranberry's tartness in the slightest noticeable way. A classy, updated, adult holiday cookie that I will definitely make again!

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Brandied Cranberry Cookies
2 cups AP flour
½ cup quick cooking rolled oats (2 - 3 tblspns more next time)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
¾ cup white sugar (less)
¾ cup brown sugar

1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp brandy (used to soak cranberries)

3/4 cup dried cranberries (roughly chopped & soaked: 1 cup combo of brandy + dark rum + whiskey)
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted & chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

• Roughly chop dried cranberries & soak in a combination of brandy, dark rum & whiskey for about an hour.
• Once soaked, drain cranberries & put aside. Reserve alcohol liquid.
• Preheat oven 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oatmeal, baking soda & salt.
• With an electric mixer, cream together butter & sugar until light & fluffy.
• Beat in egg, vanilla extract + 1 1/2 tsp reserved alcohol liquid until combined.
• Slowly add flour mixture & mix until nearly combined.
• Fold in spiked cranberries, toasted & chopped walnuts, & white chocolate chips until everything is evenly distributed.
• If dough is a little too sticky, pop in the fridge for 15 - 30 minutes.
• Drop by large (40grams) tablespoons onto baking sheet. 9 cookies per sheet, these cookies will spread. Gently press down to flatten into 1 1/2 - 2 inch diameter.
• Bake 12 - 15 minutes, till slightly golden brown around the edges.
  
• Makes ~25 medium-large sized cookies.
  

**Dried raisins or cherries would be a good substitution for cranberries. Pistachios instead of walnuts will make this even more festive.

**They're packaged up & ready to be delivered!**