Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries and White Chocolate Chips

Well at this point, there's no denying it. Tomorrow is October 1st, so I think I may be finally ready to concede that it's fall. Nonetheless, I'm not going to lie. I am really enjoying these 75 to 80 degree weather that we've been having! It has made for some great runs!

A couple weeks ago, the family that I am staying with and I were on the hunt for a seasonal dessert. I had noticed this recipe from My Baking Addiction earlier in the afternoon, and I am so glad that we ended up making these. The 6-year old and I made them together, and we only spilled a little bit of oatmeal on the floor =)

It's not too often that I find and make a recipe in the same day (as evidenced by my monster bookmark list), so please let that speak to how good these cookies really are. I've made pumpkin cookies before in the past and have been less than wowed. Yes, they were good, but I've never quite been satisfied with the cake-like texture of cookies baked with fruit. Thus, enter these cookies. I'm absolutely convinced that the oatmeal takes these cookies from good to stellar. The cookies were still chewy, but they weren't too soft like fruit-cookies can often get. Better yet, they didn't get "damp" after storing them for a day or so. I am not sure if they're better because the oatmeal "soaks up" the extra moisture, but they definitely got an A+ from everyone in the house. 

Thanks Jamie for sharing a great recipe! Check out her blog. She has a lot of great recipes and also talks about other combinations of add-ins that would be great in these cookies. I still have some extra pumpkin in the fridge, so these cookies may be making a repeat appearance soon! Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for the dark pictures. I'm on a longer rotation this month, it's often dark out when I'm home =( 

(Printable Recipe)

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Cherries and White Chocolate Chips
From Jamie at My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (you can make your own combo if you don't have it)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. dried cherries, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat if desired. 

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add flour mixture; combine until fully incorporated. Fold in white chocolate chips and cherries. Dough will be wet.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Yield: 48 cookies