Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Butter Cookies

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Butter Cookies


(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Orange-Cranberry-Oatmeal-Cookies-13500)


Ingredients:
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 prepared “Basic Butter Cookie Dough” at room temperature
about 1/2 cup sugar


Basic Butter Cookie Dough:
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour


For Dough:
1. In large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat together butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
3. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well.


Instructions:
1. In a bowl soak cranberries in warm water to cover 15 minutes. Drain cranberries well and chop fine. We didn’t actually do this, but it sounds like a good idea.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. In bowl of a standing electric mixer beat cranberries, oats, and zest into basic dough until just combined well.
4. Form dough into 1-inch balls and roll balls in sugar to coat. Arrange balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
5. Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 12 minutes, and cool on racks.

Notes: Cookies taste better at room temperature & are great with tea! It would be interesting to add almonds/pecans to the recipe and try rolling cookies in confectioners’ sugar.