Cranberry Almond Choco Oatmeal cookies

I've recently become inspired by a blind chef on the show "Master Chefs" on The food network. She has to rely almost entirely on smell and sound while cooking, and when plating, on her imagination. One advantage is that she isn't distracted by the visuals of her surroundings, of her competitors, and even of her ingredients and she can better focus on what matters: the taste, the smell. She's an amazing chef, just from watching her and the judges' reaction, I really hope she wins!

On the blogosphere, it's the opposite. I can see how beautiful a dish looks, and some blogs really go above and beyond, I mean - really. Food porn at its best. And only my imagination can tell me what it might smell and taste like. And I've encountered this problem while making these cookies - how do I let you know what it smells and tastes like?? Maybe because I haven't baked cookies in awhile and have forgotten how it felt to sit in a house filled with the smell of sweet oats and brown sugar that I just must convey, in some form more than a mere photo, how droolingly wonderful it is.

So let's listen to some music! Here's the song the ran through my mind during the entire baking process:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc

I'm picking up good vibrations. Oh yes. She's giving me excitations.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg

1/4 cup white and dark chocolate chips
1/4 dried sweetened cranberries

3/4 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup oats
3/4 cup whole wheat all purpose
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat together butter, sugar and egg until fluffy. Mix in chocolate chips and cranberries.

Combine all dry ingredients together.

Combine flour mixture into butter mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto buttered baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 15 mins. Makes around 12 - 18 cookies, depending on size.