Oatmeal Jumbles

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 1.5 cups brown sugar dark packed
• 0.3 cup cherries dried
• 2 large eggs 
• 1.8 cups flour all-purpose
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats 
• 0.3 cup raisins 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 10 tablespoon butter unsalted at room temperature
• 0.3 cup coconut or unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening 
• 0.5 cup walnuts chopped

Equipment

• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• blender
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, shortening and both sugars until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture. Stir in oats, then chocolate, walnuts, raisins, cherries and coconut.
4. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 2-Tbsp. balls and place several inches apart on baking sheets.
5. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until cookies are lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets on wire racks, then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.