Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a smaller bowl mix together oats, walnuts, cherries and chocolate chips.

Using your stand mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and take speed down to medium-low to beat for not more than a minute.

Decrease mixer speed to low, slowly add in the flour and beat until just blended, 30 seconds.

Incorporate oat mixture and mix on low until just combined. Stir the dough one last time using a spoon to integrate all ingredients.

Take a ¼ cup scoop of the dough and roll roughly into a ball shape. Repeat for approximately 16 balls. Place the balls onto the prepared baking sheets leaving plenty of space between each. Press down each sphere until flattened to thickness of 1 inch.

Set baking sheets in the upper middle and lower middle racks of the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes, rotating sheets halfway between. Edges will be golden brown but the center will be soft and slightly mushy.

When done, remove the baking sheets from the oven. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, this ensures a final cooking on the pans themselves.

Transfer cookies onto wire racks to cool completely.

(Recipe adapted from “The Complete America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook”)