Dreary Days are great for Cookie Baking.

Woke up this morning to a very dark sky and cool breezes coming down from the mountain; it smelled of rain. This was the perfect weather for cookie baking; nothing like a cool breeze to cool a hot kitchen, and carry the scent of baking cookies throughout the house. Nothing fancy, just two types of cookies that Roy and I enjoy; we deserved a bit of a treat.

The first is an oatmeal cookie, but I don't just use raisins, but also another dried fruit...very comforting. In the recipe I usually use dried dates, but today I decided to use dried cherries; that's how flexible this recipe is. The second is a sugar cookie with tiny pieces of mint candy dispersed throughout...sweet but refreshing. Also a flexible recipe as toffee bits can be used, or no candy at all.

Double Fruit Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
1 large egg
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp each baking powder and soda
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ cup each diced dates and golden raisins
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Use nonstick baking sheets, or spray with baking spray (contains flour).

In a large bowl, cream together butter, egg and sugars. In another bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture.

Add dates, raisins, vanilla and oats; mix thoroughly. Place tablespoons of batter 2” apart on baking sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes; until cookies are golden brown; remove to wire baking racks to cool.

Makes 3 dozen.

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Sugar Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 cup salted butter, completely softened, but not melted
1 ½ cups sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Andes Candies mint pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F (350F if using dark or nonstick baking sheets).

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and powder; set aside.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar; gradually beat in the egg and vanilla. Add creamed mixture and candy pieces into the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly.

Measure out the dough by teaspoon, roll into a ball and place on ungreased (or nonstick) cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cookie wire racks for final settling (about 5 minutes).

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Mary Cokenour