Oatmeal Raisin Cookies With Cherries and Cranberries
Thelma is a syndicated newspaper food columnist and a former field editor for Taste of Home magazine.

A batch of oatmeal raisin cookies made with cherries and cranberries.
Photo by author, Country Homemaker. May not be used without written permission.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: With a Holiday Twist
Oatmeal raisin cookies are popular at any time of the year. However, by adding dried cherries and cranberries to the recipe, you will have a special cookie to serve during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays your family observes.
Served warm with a cold glass of milk, you won't be able to eat just one!
Ingredients
- 1 cup solid shortening
- 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups dried raisin, cherry, and cranberry mix
- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
Cook Time
Prep time | Cook time | Ready in | Yields |
---|---|---|---|
20 min | 12 min | 32 min | 48 cookies |
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease 2 large cookie sheets. If you are using copper-clad cookie sheets like the one pictured here, it is not necessary to grease.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the shortening in a large mixing bowl while using a rubber spatula to push the shortening between the beaters. Beat on medium speed until creamy.
- Add the brown and white sugars to the shortening and beat on medium for 2 minutes. Change the speed to high and beat 1 minute longer.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl using a fork. Mix in the vanilla with the eggs. Add this mixture to the larger bowl. Note: Beating the eggs separately before adding to the shortening ensures they will be incorporated evenly.
- In a large separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. You will know they are mixed together completely when you no longer see brown streaks of cinnamon.
- Using a high setting on your mixer, add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture a little at a time until all is well incorporated.
- Add the dried fruits and mix until well blended.
- Add the oats, a cup at a time, and mix until oats are distributed throughout the dough. This step may take a little time, as you will need to stop a few times to scrape the sides of the bowl and the beaters with a spatula. It is worth the effort to ensure your cookies will turn out perfectly.
- Drop dough onto the cookie sheets using a tablespoon. Leave 1 to 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown as shown in the pictures. Some cookies may have a wet dough appearance in the center but don't be concerned. They will continue to cook even after you remove them from the oven.
- Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for 2 minutes while still on the sheets. Using a metal spatula as pictured, remove to a wire rack until completely cool.
- Store in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Usually, cookie jars do not have a lid that fits tight enough. There is no need to refrigerate.
The Finished Product



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© 2018 Thelma Raker Coffone