cherry chocolate peanut chunk cookies

I can’t be trusted alone with these cookies.  At least I halved my recipe…

I spotted a low-sugar, dried cherry and almond cookie recipe in the Jan/Feb 2011 Volume of Health Magazine when I was at my parents’ the other day.  Since I was bored this afternoon and had some of the ingredients on hand, I decided to put my own twist on their ‘Light Chocolate Chunk Cookies’.  I wasn’t sure how dried cherry + crushed peanut flavor would combine in a cookie, but these are freaking delicious.  You could pretty much sub any dried fruit/crushed nut in these and they would be just as fabulous.  They are not sickeningly sweet like some cookies can be, either!

Cherry Chocolate Peanut Chunk Cookies

Makes 35-40 Cookies

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks
• 2/3 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup salted peanuts, crushed (just put in a Ziploc bag and crush with a rounded bottom can)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugars until creamed.  Add oil, eggs, and vanilla and blend.  In a separate bowl, mix flours, baking powder, and salt.  Ditch your hand mixer at this point and slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula.  Fold in the cherries, peanuts and chocolate chips.  Place heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown.  Mine were done in closer to 10 minutes than 12, so be careful not to burn them!

Apparently snow turns me into a housewife.

In other news, you need to put avocado on your future breakfast sandwiches.

Mmmk?