Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

It's blueberry season right now and I was in the mood for some oatmeal cookies. Instead of making the usual oatmeal raisin cookies, I thought I would make blueberry pecan oatmeal cookies. I had some dried blueberries in my pantry so I used those along with some golden raisins to make my cookies. If you can't find any dried blueberries you can use all raisins in the cookie or any other dried fruit of choice. Let's get started.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies

makes 24 mini or 12 large cookies

• 227g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 180g light brown sugar
• 65g granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 187g all-purpose flour
• 50g unsweetened coconut
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cardamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 270g old fashioned rolled oats
• 100g golden raisins
• 80g dried blueberries
• 80g pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

TIP: The trick for keeping any dried fruit soft in cakes or cookies is to hydrate them in hot water for a few seconds. This will hydrate the fruit and keep them soft. Strain the fruit through a strainer and let the fruit cool to room temperature.

Combine the flour, coconut, baking soda, salt and spices in a small mixing bowl; set aside. Cream the butter with the sugars. Mix in the eggs one at a time and add in the vanilla extract. Add in the flour and mix until combined. Stir in the rolled oats, fruit and nuts. I like to chill my cookie dough before I bake them. By chilling the cookie dough, the fat in butter will solidify which will prevent the cookies from spreading too much when they are baking. I like to use an ice cream scooper to evenly portion out my cookie dough.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes for mini cookies and 20-25 minutes for regular cookies. If you are a fan of oatmeal cookies, these will not disappoint you. They are hearty with a hint of spices to complement the blueberries and raisins. It's snack time!