oatmeal toffee cookies

This fall is a bit crazy around our home.  Andrew is studying for a huge exam in November and I am a busy little photographer.  When my energy starts lagging by mid afternoon, I find myself making a few trips to our freezer for one of these cookies.  If my math is correct, I have about a week left until I need to start searching for another cookie recipe.

I found this recipe years ago in a Martha Stewart magazine.  I remember making them when Andrew and I were first married and living in our small apartment at Yonge and Bloor in Toronto.  It was almost impossible to find dried cherries, but I remember getting them at Noah's Natural Food Store.  And I also remember thinking that those cherries put me over my weekly food budget.  Of course we certainly didn't have the money to use butter for these cookies.  Thankfully money isn't quite as tight as that first year of us both being students.  Butter just tastes so much better.  

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies - adapted from Martha Stewart
Makes 6 dozen

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup chocolate chips
1 package Skor toffee pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together the flour and baking soda.  Cream the butter and sugars in a mixer on medium high speed for 2-3 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing.  Add egg and mix on high speed.  Add vanilla and continue mixing until incorporated.  Scrape down sides.  Add the  flour mixture a bit at a time on low speed until well combined.  On low speed, add the oats, cherries, chocolate chips and toffee pieces.  Mix to combine.

Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and roll into logs using plastic wrap, approximately 5 cm in diameter.  Chill in fridge until firm.  To bake, cut logs into 1 cm pieces.  Bake on parchment lined baking sheets, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a baking rack to cool.