Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate

I promised my sister-in-law I was going to make oatmeal cookies for her and her family. I always use the recipe on the Quaker Oats box but add in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips (or chunks). They're really good. I made a little change when making today's batch of cookies. I added a 1/2 teaspoon of Fiori di Sicilia. I bought this flavoring a while ago and have kept it in the refrigerator door. Every time I opened the fridge door, I would realize I hadn't tried it yet and needed to add it to my next batch of cookies. I thought that the vanilla/ citrus-y flavor would really enhance the dried cranberries in the cookies. It did. I could see where this flavoring could be very overpowering if used indiscriminately - a little goes a long way. But it added a slight, can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-it, enjoyable flavor to these cookies. I'll be experimenting with it in other baked goods, too. This will be interesting!

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fiori di sicilia, (optional)
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips (or 8-ounce bar of white chocolate, cut into small chunks)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Thoroughly mix in eggs and flavorings. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add to butter mixture. Mix in oatmeal. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate.

Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment. Place rounded tablespoons of cookie dough 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes, or until cookies are set and edges are slightly golden. Remove from oven and leave on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove cookies to rack and cool completely.

Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies