Apricot-Oatmeal Cookies

I love cookies. My husband and I went to Costco recently and purchased dried apricots, pecans, almonds and pistachios. Now, I asked, as my creative mind went into motion, what can I do with all of these delicious ingredients? Jarod, often the impetus behind my creations, suggested oatmeal cookies with dried apricots. I found just the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book and these are sweetly satisfying with a tall glass of milk (icy Silk soy milk, in my case).

Ingredients:

3/4 cup snipped dried apricots

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 Tb. ground flax, mixed with 3 Tb. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts of choice (I used toasted almonds, but pecans or walnuts would be great, too)

Instructions:

In small bowl, combine apricots and enough boiling water just to cover them. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl beat the margarine with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda; beat until combined. Add the flax mixture and vanilla and beat until combined. Mix in as much flour as you can with the hand mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in apricots, rolled oats, nuts and any remaining flour.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Yummmmy!