For roughly 20 years, they've just been oatmeal cookies, because these are the ones we make. They have dried cranberries instead of raisins, because all of the people in the world who have been scarred by raisins have scarred me with their raisin trauma.
Not really. I just like dried cranberries.
They're colorful and fall-seasonal, and they go very nicely with the ginger that's also been added to this warm, wonderful, seasonal cookie.
There's an obvious name we could give these cookies (hint: it rhymes with oatmeal-raisin), but sadly, that name is trademarked, and I don't want any trouble.
And so, as I go about putting this story on the editorial budget, I am struggling. I want to call them cranberry-ginger oatmeal, but then it's pointed out to me that the oatmeal part should go first. Because they are, first and foremost, oatmeal cookies.
And while oatmeal cookies, by any other name, still taste as sweet, the combination herein, to us, is perfection. Bake them a little longer, and they've got more color and bite. A little less and they are chewy.
They're also wonderfully welcoming at their spicy, little cookie party. So, if you're the sort who likes to meld the whole chocolate and oatmeal thing, might I suggest some mini-dark or milk chocolate morsels? Or butterscotch. Or peanut butter. On this go-round, I tried toffee bits in one part of the batch (nice). And diced-up candied ginger in another.
Ginger is another thing. I use more than the below, which is a semi-neutralized recipe that I *think*, a long time ago, came from a cookbook. I honestly can't remember. I just like them spicy. So, if you love ginger, use more. And if you like raisins, be loud and proud and use them, with or without the cranberries. But it's Thanksgiving. And cranberries are great.
The pignoli cookie is a sweet, simple way to time travel
And as I am wrapping up this cute little blurb about cute little cookies that you might consider for your Turkey Day dessert table, or even for Santa, when you put out the cookies on Christmas Eve (these gluten-free pignoli cookies are another great option, but pricier to make), a mighty bellow comes from the kitchen downstairs. A clever one, too.