Today, while Jen of Beantown Baker is on a fabulous European vacation, I get to play in her online kitchen. I’m completely jealous of her trip so being stuck back in the states makes me want to dive head first into a bowl of chocolate or cookie dough or both. So I made cookies, oatmeal cookies to be exact

Problem is… I don’t like raisins. I subbed in chocolate because that’s clearly the most reasonable alternative. And then I added a bunch of tart dried cranberries for good measure, because I love cranberries and if oatmeal cookies don’t have big chunks of apples then they need cranberries.

I can’t live without cranberries so there better not ever be a shortage… they’re sort of one of my many crack foods. I’d happily give up just about any other food besides cranberries. I live on cranberry juice. Oh and apples… don’t even try taking those away from me. Nope, not gonna happen.

A generous helping of applesauce (there ya go… apples and cranberries colliding in cookie heaven) keep these babies moist. What’s the best way to finish off sweet oatmeal cookies but with something extra sweet? Top these off with a maple glaze and just drool… I mean, enjoy.

No seriously, I should’ve renamed these to New England cookies because it’s all in there! Cranberries, apples, maple syrup – perfection.

And please don’t be scared of the moist looking dough. You know that dough, the one that looks like it’s going to spread in the oven to a liquidy mess and burn around the edges before the cookie thickens and puffs up to a perfect cookie. I stood by my oven window watching, waiting, hoping these babies would turn out and they absolutely did. So don’t be scared. Watch through your window if you must. But grab your ingredients and get to work. You want these. Your family and friends want these.

Hop on over to Jen’s for the complete recipe.