Oatmeal Goodness
My husbands amuma (grandmother) used to make oatmeal cookies with dried apricots that the family sun-dried themselves from their orchard. The best ones to dry are the ones that are over ripe…they aren’t pretty like the ones you see in the store, but they are a lot sweeter. His amuma used to cut them in little pieces the size of raisins. We have a friend that his families business makes the most delicious dried fruit and they have a product called Bakers Fruit Medley www.trainafood.com. The medley is a blend of sun-dried pear, peaches, nectarines, apricots, golden and dark raisins and dried cranberries. The pears, peaches, nectarines and apricots are cut into the size like amuma used to do with the apricots. The Traina family are the growers, dryers and processors of the fruit. Not only is it great in oatmeal cookies, I also use it in oatmeal for breakfast and in granola.
For the oatmeal I prefer is Snoqualmie Falls Lodge Oatmeal from Seattle, Washington. Their website is www.snoqualmiefallsstore.com. I like the consistency and the texture of the oatmeal. You can use any brand you prefer.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks),butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oatmeal (NOT quick oats)
1 cup fruit medley or 1 cup raisins
Snoqualmie Oatmeal 
I keep a slice of bread in with my brown sugar to keep it soft. I change it out every so often as it gets hard.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla on low-speed til smooth.
Mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside about 1/4 cup and stir in the rest with the creamed mixture.
Mix together the oatmeal and the dried fruit. 
Add the reserved 1/4 cup of flour mixture to the oatmeal and dried fruit. This keeps the fruit from clumping together when you mix it in.
Add oatmeal and dried fruit mixture to the creamed mixture and continue to stir until blended.
I use an ice cream scoop to drop the cookie dough onto an ungreased baking sheet. If you don’t have an ice cream scoop use a tablespoon.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Makes approximately 4 1/2 dozen cookies.
Grab a glass of cold milk and enjoy the cookies!
The Basque Wife 