Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the longest time, I was convinced I didn't like oatmeal cookies. Of course, most of my early encounters with oatmeal cookies involved raisins, and I hate raisins. Ok, hate is a bit of a strong word. I don't hate raisins like I hate, say, celery. I just don't really care for them. I actually don't care for most dried fruit. I find that it's often overly sweet. Ironic, considering how obsessed I am with sweets in general. The only real exceptions are dried fruits that are both sweet and tart, including dried cherries.

Anyway, back to my point. I thought I didn't like oatmeal cookies for a long time. Then one day I tried an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, and my mind was forever changed. Since then I've been on a mission to make the perfect oatmeal chocolate chip cookie: soft, chewy, and chock-full of chocolate chips. Considering how quickly these cookies usually disappear when I share them with friends, I think they come pretty close. Just for kicks, I've thrown in some dried cherries the last few times I've made them, which I think adds just the right touch of tartness. You're welcome to use raisins in place of the cherries, if you prefer. I don't know why anyone would want to ruin a perfectly good cookie by adding raisins, but we're all entitled to our opinions, I suppose.

Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
heavily adapted from The Frog Commissary Cookbook

1 cup (2 sticks, 16 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
10.5 ounces brown sugar (about 1 1/2 cups)
3.5 ounces granulated sugar (about 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk, half and half, or cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
9 ounces all-purpose flour (scant 2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups "quick" oats
1 cup old-fashioned oats
12 ounces chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Depending on the speed and power of your mixer, this should take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater blade as needed.
2. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix at medium-high speed for two additional minutes.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl and blade as needed.
4. Fold in chocolate chips, oats, and cherries either by hand or with the "fold" function on your stand mixer.
5. Scoop dough into approximately 1.5 ounce portions (I like to use a #20 scoop for this task) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet spaced at least three inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating pan once during baking, until cookies are set around the edges and begin to brown. The centers should still appear to be somewhat under-baked. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for at least five minutes, or until set, before transferring to a cooling rack.