White chocolate oatmeal apricot cookies

There are a couple items that I always have on hand: oatmeal and dried fruit.  So, when I need to whip up some cookies in a hurry I look for an oatmeal cookie recipe.  

I recently made these White Chocolate Oatmeal Apricot cookies for a Winter Solstice party we held.  The party consisted of a 5K run in the dark around Lake Calhoun and then a feast of baked goods and beer. (Yes, we decided this should be a semi-annual event from here on out.)  I first saw the recipe on a blog I follow called, The Bitten Word.  The only change I made was to add about 1 TBSP of Cinnamon and 1 tsp of nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

    * 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    * 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
    * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    * 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I used 1 stick butter, 1 stick Crisco)
    * 1/4 cup granulated sugar
    * 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    * 2 large eggs
    * 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped (Make sure you buy a high quality white chocolate.  It makes a huge difference in the taste)
    * 7 ounces dried apricots, preferably California, chopped (1 1/2 cups) (I probably used more)

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
   2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Cookies will keep, covered, for up to 1 week.