Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Fancies

These aren’t your basic oatmeal raisin situation.

Two kinds of chocolate, candied red cherries, and toasted almonds turn a simple oat cookie dough into something that looks like it came from a fancy bakery case. The almond extract in the batter echoes the toasted almonds, creating a warm, nutty flavor that runs through every bite.

Toasting the almonds first is a must. Raw almonds taste flat and waxy in baked goods, but five minutes in the oven brings out their oils and gives them a crunch that holds up even after baking.

Brown sugar keeps these cookies soft and chewy in the center while the edges get golden and slightly crisp. Drop them by the tablespoonful and resist the urge to flatten them. The dough spreads on its own and you’ll get that perfect thick-to-thin ratio.

Chef Tips

• Watch the almonds carefully while toasting. They go from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds. Pull them the moment you smell them.
• Chop the chocolate by hand into rough, uneven pieces. Uniform chips melt predictably, but jagged chunks create pockets of melted chocolate and solid bits in the same cookie.
• Do not overbake. The recipe says it twice for a reason. Pull them when they look barely set. They firm up significantly on the baking sheet during the 2-minute rest.

Variations

• Swap candied cherries for dried tart cherries for a less sweet, more tangy version.
• Use dark chocolate for both chocolates if you prefer a more bittersweet, intense cookie.