On Perfect as the Enemy of Good: Ugly Cookies

All of a sudden there are words on this page – this page that had been blank for more than three years.  Not too long after I made that egg sandwich I was paralyzed by the quest for perfection.  I would draft posts, choose pictures, look into hosting and promoting a website, research monetizing, etc.  Nothing I wrote was perfect and no matter what I learned I felt I should know more.

And then one day last week, a woman I used to work with quit.  She stopped her day job and started her life as she wanted it.  First I was inspired and then I was motivated.  And then suddenly I didn’t care if I was perfect, I just wanted to start doing something I wanted to do.  And now there are words on the page – imperfect words and imperfect pictures, but they are mine.  So I say all of this to say, hang in there with me while I get in the groove – and if there’s something you’ve been wanting to do, try it.  What’s the worst that can happen?

This recipe is dedicated to my former co-worker and to my friends whose ooooh’s and aaah’s over the cookies below helped me feel like I had something worth posting about.   It is adapted from my friend Linda’s world famous-in-the-neighborhood cookie recipe.  I’ve changed the oats-to-flour recipe to make a flatter, chewier cookie – they aren’t as pretty as Linda’s, but I’m a sucker for oats, so these ugly cookies get me every time.

Ugly Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4c. oats
1 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1 c. Scharffenberger’s bittersweet chocolate chunks
1 c. flaked coconut

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until mixture is light, about 2 minutes. Whisk the next four ingredients together and then add to the wet ingredients until blended. Finally, mix in cherries, chocolate and coconut – be careful not to over mix.  Store dough in the fridge covered in plastic wrap for 1-2 days before continuing for best results.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Drop batter by the heaping tablespoonful on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned.

Notes: The fridge storage time really makes a difference in the flavor.  Plus, I like that I can keep the dough in the fridge and bake off cookies as I need them.  Sometimes I scoop them and lay them on a cookie sheet to freeze individually and then pop them in a storage bag.  That way you can bake just a couple at a time.