Chewy, Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate, Cherries and Toasted Almonds

Say you're my everything and I plan to keep you around a while with these delicious and healthy oatmeal cookies!  Loaded with cherries, almonds and dark chocolate, they'll devour every morsel of these thick, chewy and crunchy delights!  Surprise them with a couple for breakfast in bed on Valentine's...they'll feel so pampered!

                                         Dessert For Breakfast!
                                 

                              
                                    Better Than a Five-Star Hotel!

Approx. 32 large cookies

Ingredients

• 1 c. packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated white sugar
• 3/4 c. butter, cut into large chunks
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 3 c. old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 c. unsifted all-purposed flour 
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 c. unsalted, dry-toasted, slivered almonds (available at Trader Joe's in an 8 oz. pkg.), coarsely chopped
• 1 c. tart, dried cherries--broke apart with your fingers (can substitute dried cranberries)
• 10 oz. bag dark chocolate morsels (1 c. for batter and remainder for drizzle)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Line a couple of cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Beat the sugars and butter well and scrape the bowl.
4. Add the water, egg and vanilla and mix well; scrape the bowl again.
5. In a separate bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine well the oats, flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
6. Add the almonds, cherries and 1 c. of the chocolate morsels to the dry mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon or spatula.
7. Incorporate well the dry mixture with the fruit, nuts and chocolate into the wet mixture...you can use your electric mixer on a low speed. 
8. Using an ice cream scoop, drop the batter onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets, about two inches apart each scoop.
9. Bake approximately 16-18 minutes or until light-golden brown.
10. Let stand on the pans about one minute.  Carefully slide the whole sheets of parchment paper with the cookies onto racks to cool.  Once cooled, carefully place the paper with the cookies back onto the cookie sheets.
11. Melt the remaining chocolate morsels in a microwave-safe bowl for about 45 seconds on medium-high (70%) power.  Stir well.  If not completely melted, return the chocolate to the microwave for another 10 to 15 seconds and stir well again.  Working quickly, use a whisk to drizzle the melted chocolate onto the cookies.  
12. To set the chocolate, freeze the cookies on the cookie sheets for about 15 minutes or refrigerate them for about 30-45 minutes.  Store in an air-tight container.

Share your love on Valentine's with these scrumptious cookies, and you'll get lots of hugs and kisses for sure!  Enjoy!

 P. S.
                                           You're My Everything...

                                                  Forever!

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