White Chocolate Cherry Cookies...

Every morning after I awaken from my sleepy paradise, I stumble to the kitchen and reach for the french press. As I'm filling it with the grounds which will eventually zap me back into normalcy, I make eye contact with the frog. Don't worry, there's no amphibians in my kitchen - the frog is our cookie jar and it's been sitting empty for quite some time. Every day when I make my coffee I tell myself that this is the day I will replenish the frog but there's always a fire to put out and the frog bears the brunt of it.

Not today! I have an old, torn up Martha Stewart magazine which consists of just cookie and brownie bar recipes. There are over a hundred pages of awesomely tasty recipes, but me being the white chocolate fiend that I am, I knew when I saw this recipe the frog would be happy once again. Of course I couldn't just leave well enough alone and take Martha's word for it, so I juggled some of the ingredients to suit my taste. Martha used walnuts, while I used maple-coated macadamias, which by the way are more expensive than gold! Martha used raisins,while I used dried sour cherries. I was happy the way these cookies turned out. They're chunky and almost granola bar like, but the cherries and the chocolate will play a tune on your tongue unlike any Clif bar could.

Thanks Martha, you truly are the queen of cookies but my frog is full again, and if kissed may well turn into a prince.

Here's the recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart:

2 Sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup brown sugar
2 Large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 Cups white chocolate chunks
1 Cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 Cup dried cherries
1 Cup chopped macadamias

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and both sugars in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs and cream until combined.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the butter mixture. Stir until combined.
Stir in oats, cherries, chocolate, nuts and coconut.
Drop batter by using a tbsp onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes, cool on a wire rack.