Tangerine Sunflower Seed Oatmeal Cookies

Dear Oatmeal Cookies:

You have had me under your spell since I was a little girl. Back then, my mother would let me help make you using the Quaker’s Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies recipe. We became fast friends and I have rarely left your side since.

I still find your raw batter the hardest to resist even though I have cheated on you now and then with that slutty chocolate chip variety.

Please forgive me because it’s been umpteen years since our affair started and sometimes one just needs to switch things up now and then. Relationships can become stale and everyone could use a makeover once in a while, right?  So when I saw these dried mandarin slices in Trader Joe’s recently. You came to mind. See? you are never far from my thoughts.

Perfect orange jewels to adorn your perfect flavor.  I thought about gifting you with macadamia nuts but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with anything too fancy. I’m considerate like that. Sunflower seeds are ones you can wear in any season and seemed like the perfect addition.

And they were. Now I feel as if I have fallen in love with you all over again. And it’s different this time. You are tangy and nutty but still have that seductive brown sugar caramel oatty flavor of the cookie of my heart.

Thanks for being you.

Love,

Me

(Adapted from Quaker Oats’ Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe)

Prep time: 15 minutes   Bake time: 8-10 minutes   Yield 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2  teaspoon salt 
• 3  cups oats 
• 1  cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1 cup dried tangerines, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Cream butter and sugars together in a mixer.
• Add the eggs and mix thoroughly.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture.
• Mix in oats then sunflower seeds and tangerine pieces
• Using a tablespoon, form balls of dough and place on cookie sheets
• Bake 8-10 minutes until the edges and tops are slightly brown (leave in a few minutes more if you like them less chewy)
• Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.