Oregon Trail Cookies

By MooK

Ingredients

• all purpose flour - 2 cups
• baking soda - 1 teaspoon
• baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon
• salt - 1 teaspoon
• unsalted butter at room temperature - 1 cup (2 sticks)
• granulated sugar - 1 cup
• brown sugar, lightly packed - 1 cup
• eggs at room temperature - 2
• pure vanilla extract - 2 teaspoons
• Bob's Red Mill extra thick rolled oats - 2 3/4 cups
• 60 % dark chocolate chips or chunks - 1 1/2 cups
• filberts (hazelnuts) - 1 cup
• dried tart cherries - 1 cup
• espresso powder - 1 1/2 tablespoons

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°

Once the oven is preheated, bake the hazelnuts for 8-10 minutes until they begin to darken and give off a nutty aroma.

Once the hazelnuts have cooled you can remove the skins by rolling handfuls of the nuts around in your bare hands or in a clean kitchen towel. Don't worry if the skins don't come off completely, they give the cookies character.

Measure the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and espresso powder into a bowl and whisk to combine.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, until fluffy and light in color. Be sure to scrape down the bowl a few times during the process.

While the butter and sugar are mixing, roughly chop the hazelnuts and chocolate into bite sized chunks and set aside.

Adjust the mixer to a low speed and slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla (I like to crack the eggs and add the vanilla in a measuring cup before adding it to the butter and sugar mixture). Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl once.

Gradually add the dry ingredients in 2-3 additions with the mixer on low speed. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to fully incorporate the butter and sugar.

Combine the oats, chocolate chunks, cherries, and hazelnuts in the same bowl you used for the dry ingredients, then add them into the mix with the mixer on low speed. Mix until everything is well distributed.

Use a cookie scoop to form the dough into ping pong size balls. Arrange on a prepared cookie sheet and press into 1/2 inch thick disks.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. The edges of the cookies will begin to brown and the middle should appear slightly underdone. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets. They will continue to cook and should be crunchy on the edges with a warm and chewy center.