Oatmeal...cranberry...white chocolate chip... toasted walnut cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup dried cranberries, cherries, or raisins

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts toasted and chopped

To toast nuts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and toast nuts for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop into pieces. Set aside.

Directions: Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until incorporated. Stir in the nuts, oats, and dried cranberries or chocolate chips.

For large cookies, use 1/4 cup of batter (I like to use an ice cream scoop) and space the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Then wet your hand and flatten the cookies slightly with your fingers so they are about 1/2 inch thick. Bake the cookies for about 12 - 15 minutes at 350* or until light golden brown around the edges but still soft and a little wet in the centers. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 20 - 24 large cookies. If you can keep your and your loved ones fingers out of the dough!