Yield: 1 dozen cookies

I love chewy oatmeal raisin cookies. But when you combine tart, dried cherries with dark chocolate chips, you get a truly unique cookie that your guests will rave about. These cookies are great pareve or dairy and can me made a few days ahead of time.

Tip: To bring out the sweetness of cookies, don’t forget the salt! Combine 1/2 tablespoon thick sea salt with 1/2 tablespoon sanding sugar and sprinkle just a pinch on each cookie. The sanding sugar with make the cookies look beautiful and the salt will really add a depth of flavor and bring out the cookie’s sweetness.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/2 tablespoon thick sea salt (optional)

1/2 tablespoon sanding sugar (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter or margarine with sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combine. Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries (or other add-ins). Don’t overmix. In a small bowl combine sanding sugar and sea salt.

Using a cookie scoop, drop cookies on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Lightly flatten cookies with moistened fingers. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and sugar on top of each cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Let cool for 2 or 3 minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to cooling racks.

Shannon Sarna is the editor of The Nosher, a 70 Faces Media company.