Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries

Valentine's Day is coming and that means it's time for me to decide exactly what type of sweet treat I'll be giving to Jason as part of his gift. I haven't quite made up my mind (and certainly wouldn't spoil it here before the big day!) but thought I would share a wonderful cookie recipe I made last weekend in case others out there are looking for similar inspiration.

While oatmeal cookies in and of themselves may not seem all that exciting, you can spice them up with a variety of add-ins. From the very traditional raisins to chocolate chips to nuts, oatmeal cookies can be a very versatile cookie indeed. As I mentioned on my last post, I volunteered to bring something sweet to a friend's house last weekend to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl (yay Giants!). I had been thinking about oatmeal cookies for weeks and decided to go in that direction. Rather than the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie I've made in the past, I decided to throw in chocolate chips and some dried cherries-- a combination that is delicious and special enough for your Valentine.

Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cherries
Adapted generously from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients: 
1 stick of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup dried cherries, chopped (next time I might add in a few more)
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1.   Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add the regular and brown sugars, salt and vanilla and beat until well mixed. Add eggs, one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed. Once incorporated, add the rest of the flour mixture.
4. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and dried cherries until everything is well-mixed.
5. Drop dough by the tablespoon onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheet and then move to a cooling rack. Cook completely.

Homemade Fudge--the Easy Way

The first year Jason and I were dating I made him chocolate truffles for Valentine's Day and presented them in a white tin with a bright red ribbon. It was his favorite gift that year. Now it is an integral part of our annual Valentine's Day celebration--every year I make him some sort of homemade treat and give it to him in that same white tin. One year was linzer cookies while another was chocolate dipped shortbread hearts. This year I decided to make fudge.

Speaking of Valentine's Day--get a load of this awesome dinner Jason made for me last night. Bacon-wrapped scallops, skillet roasted potatoes, and asparagus! YUM.

The traditional method of making fudge can be a little daunting as it requires a candy thermometer and boiling the chocolate mixture until it reaches a certain temperature, etc. I haven't quite mastered that art yet (there was the burned doughnut incident last fall and a failed attempt at making homemade marshmallows around Thanksgiving), so I decided to take the easy road in order to make sure Jason's Valentine's Day was a good one. All you do is melt chocolate, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk, and butter and cool the mixture for a few hours. It's as simple as that. If you want to get crazy you can add some additional flavorings-- cinnamon, espresso powder, even chili powder-- are good ways to personalize it for that special someone in your life. It's the perfect chocolate treat--any time of year.

Quick and Easy Fudge
Adapted slightly from Giada di Laurentiis

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (I used a mixture of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate but you can use either/or depending your preference)
3 TBL butter, room temperature

1. Grease an 8x8 baking pan and line with a 14 inch piece of parchment paper.
2. Fill a sauce pan with 1-2 inches of water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Meanwhile, mix sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and espresso powder (or other flavorings) together in a glass bowl. Add chocolate and butter. Place bowl on top of the barely simmering water.
3. Stir chocolate mixture until it is smooth and everything has melted together. It will be really thick. Use a rubber spatula to scrape fudge into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
4. Lift the parchment-lined fudge out of the baking pan and cut into squares. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat.