Prelude and Coda

My Cranberry Pomegranate Instant Oatmeal cookies were created because of a flavor of instant oatmeal available at Wal-Mart. I saw Great Value Cranberry Pomegranate Instant Oatmeal and had to try it so I bought it and took it home. The family loved it and the first time I smelled it when the kids were making breakfast I thought, “That smells like a good cookie!” I checked online, looked at a few cookbooks and asked a few people for oatmeal cookie recipes that used instant oatmeal but couldn’t find one. So I had an idea for a cookie, but I didn’t have a recipe.
To make the cookies, then, I began by using a basic cookie recipe similar to what one uses when making chocolate chip cookies. I adjusted it slightly because of the added sugar in instant oatmeal and then augmented the recipe with molasses and pomegranate flavored Craisins. I scooped the cookies onto cookies sheets with a small cookie scoop and baked at 350* until the cookies were brown and set on the sides. Total cook time ranged from 18 minutes for the first batch to about 13 minutes for the 3rd batch. To encourage experimentation I’ll separate out the basic cookie recipe.
BASIC COOKIE RECIPE:
1 cup Sugar (for recipe use ¾ cup)
1 cup Brown Sugar (for recipe use ¾ cup)
½ cup (1 Stick) of Butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
Vanilla extract ( I use 2 caps full)
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS;
5 packets (2 ½ cups) of instant oatmeal
2 tablespoons molasses
¾ of a bag of Craisins
INSTRUCTIONS:
• Preheat the oven to 350*
• In one bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
• In another bowl (preferably in a stand mixer) Cream sugar, brown sugar, and molasses with the softened butter.
o I used margarine to get a fluffier cookie.
o I softened the butter for 10 seconds in the microwave.
• Add eggs one at a time mixing well before adding the next egg
• Add vanilla extract
• Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time a ( I like to add in 3 or 4 portions) until the two are mixed together.
• Using a mixing spoon stir in the instant oatmeal and Craisins
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop the dough in 1 – 1 ½ inch balls on the sheet 1- 2 inches apart ( I use a 1 ½ inch cookie scoop)
• Bake for 12 – 20 minutes until browned and set on the sides.

When finished my cookies came out thick and crisp on the outside, but soft and chewy on the inside. Because of the acids in the molasses reacting with the baking soda and the use of margarine instead of butter, the cookies were nice and thick. They also tasted great. Laura says I could cut the sugar even more, and I may on the next batch. The kids thought they were perfect.
I’m not sure, but I think this recipe would work with other instant oatmeal flavors as well. I’m considering trying it with cinnamon roll oatmeal. For that experiment I would use raisins instead of Craisins, butter instead of margarine, and might just have to ice them with a cream cheese frosting for good measure.