I used to live near a store that sold bulk dark chocolate covered cranberries. I was in school at the time, and these treats kept me motivated when nothing else could. Read a paragraph, eat a candy… you get the idea.

These cookies are inspired by the combination of tart cranberries and rich dark chocolate. They aren’t especially sweet, and are perfect with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

Makes about 4 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups quick oats
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Stir together flour (1 1/2 cups), salt, (1 tsp) and baking soda (1 tsp) in a medium bowl
• Place butter (1 cup) and brown sugar (1 cup) in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat together until creamy
• Add eggs (2) and vanilla (1 tsp) and beat into butter mixture
• Add dry ingredients and mix in just until combined
• Add oats (3 cups), chocolate chips (1 cup) and dried cranberries (1 cup) and mix until combined
• Place dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour (this will be fine in the fridge for days)
• When cookie o’clock strikes, preheat oven to 350 degrees f
• Roll dough into balls about 2 tbsp each (slightly smaller than a golf ball) on a cookie sheet, covered with parchment if you don’t feel like doing dishes
• Bake for 8 minutes
• Try to let cool for at least 5 minutes before eating

Notes:

• Bonus! As I write this, we are in the thick of the holiday season, when baking takes over all of the food groups. Since these contain fiber rich oats, fruit in the form of cranberries, and dark chocolate loaded with antioxidants, these cookies pretty much count as a salad. So have a salad today!
• These will last for a couple of days once baked, but are at their best when they are fresh out of the oven and the chocolate is still melted.