The very best cookie recipe: 10 year scientific study proves it

Okay I don't know if it was exactly 10 years but I am guessing we are in the right ball park with that. I've been making an Oatmeal Cherry Toffee Chocolate Chip cookie for about a decade now and it is the absolute, very best cookie on earth. I meticulously conducted  a very scientific study starting in about 2000 when I first saw this recipe prepared on the old Martha Stewart show. You know, the pre-taped half hour show on CBS that was quite popular in the late 90's? A little old lady from Maine came on the show one day to share her cookie recipe with Martha.

I am pretty sure I made them that night in the kitchen of our first home, and holy hot damn these were keepers.  We plowed through the entire lot just the two of us and realized this was cookie meth and we were going to need help. So the next day week when I made more, we kept a dozen at the house and sent 2 dozen into work with my husband. This is where the scientific study comes in. As expected, they were a huge hit with his group. Pretty soon, I was being begged to send in my cookies. At that time I worked as an event planner from my house and had no children. Spur of the moment cookies were a common occurrence. Every person I have made these for takes a bite like they are expecting your run of the mill oatmeal raisin or chocolate chip cookie. And the face they make when they realize it is cookie heaven is fun to watch. So if you are involved with a cookie swap this holiday season or just want to leave Santa something extra special, you've got to try these! You'll thank me.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup toffee pieces, (5 1/2 ounces)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add egg, and mix on high speed to combine. Add vanilla extract; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add the sifted flour a bit at a time on a low speed until well combined. Add oatmeal, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine.
3. Divide dough into three equal portions, and roll into logs using plastic wrap, approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. To bake, cut logs into 3/4-inch pieces. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Suggestions

1. chop your chocolate into chunks. The varying size of chocolate bits is fun.
2. when you buy dried cherries make sure you don't accidentally buy sweetened ones. I did that once. YUCK.
3. divide the dough into 3 equal portions and roll into 2" logs. I get about 36 cookies from this recipe.
4. wrapped well, the logs store in the freezer for a good long while.
5. make sure your oats are steel cut and not quick cook ones.
6. in the summer ,sandwich some vanilla bean ice cream between two of these bad boys for an out of this world ice cream sandwich.

 Recipe: Martha Stewart - well actually, a little old lady from Maine