Baking Adventures - Lite

After a disastrous attempt at fried rice, I decided to try something new, but a little more in my control. Granny had been asking Mom for a new recipe out of the Martha Stuart Living magazine, and since I'm the one tyring new recipes...Mom felt it appropriate to pass it my way. And given that Mom is (unfortunately) the cause of the fried rice debacle, it seemed best that I take the reins on this one. So this week's adventure was Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots and White Chocolate. A few things about this recipe: 1) Don't preheat the oven! Ok, yes do it, but not when it tells you to! The recipe starts with preheating, but you don't actually put it in the oven until you've set the dough in the freezer for a while. So unless you want to waste 30+ minutes of energy in the oven, just do it later! 2) The dough smells awesome, kind of like doughnuts. The cookies...well they taste nothing like doughnuts. That said, I warned you, so you won't experience the same let down we did! 3) Apparently Martha's staff doesn't understand that Step 1 should be 15 different steps! We're not all Martha's, I personally don't have six more hands coming out of my back to do everything at once like she does! Gifted or not, I bet she knows how to break down the steps better than this! Here's the recipe:

1.5 Cups all-purpose flour
1.5 Cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 Teaspoon baking soda
8 Ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Large Eggs
8 Ounces white chocolate, chopped or chips
7 Ounces dried apricots, about 1.5 cups

1. Preheat the over to 350*. Mix flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and add salt, vanilla, and eggs, beat until well combined (about a minute). Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. (Now you see why I said to wait!)
2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, about 14-16 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for two minutes, then transfer to a wire rack; let cool. Cookies will keep, covered up, for up to 1 week.

Like I said, these smelled like they were going to be great, not so much. But take that with a grain of salt as I am not all that excited about apricots or white chocolate.

Sorry no picture, but check out MarthaStewartLiving.com to find out more!