Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

Grid of Cookie Goodness

For five of the last six weekends I’ve been out of town.

As a precaution I never advertise when I’m leaving, but am happy to share stories once returned home. I’ve been slowly working through birthday Las Vegas posts, we went to a family wedding, camping, and then Oxford for a mixed doubles state tennis tournament. Lately I’ve been cooking for survival, not fun.

On Sunday I had a couple hours and a cookie craving. Our apartment was in shambles, my suitcase sat untouched from our latest excursion and I’m fairly certain I needed a shower. Nevertheless, I was in dire need of cookies.

I tore this recipe out of a Cooking Light magazine drawn by the healthy disguise of chocolate, dried cherries, wheat flour and oats. It’s feasible to consider them healthy if you eat one, not so if you eat four. But if they’re not so bad, you can eat more right? It’s a vicious circle.

Everyone who has tried them, loves them, and I’ll bet you do too.

Chocolate Cherry Heart Smart Cookies
Note: This recipe is from the Jan/Feb. 2010 Cooking Light magazine and can also be found on the Cooking Light website.

Ingredients
6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1/3 c. all-purpose white flour
1/3 c. wheat flour
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 – 1 c. dried cherries
1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips or 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and brown sugar until incorporated, then add the vanilla and egg. Gently blend in the dry ingredients. Fold in the cherries and chocolate.

Form cookies by taking about a tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until barely golden brown.

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