Nutty Apricot Cookies and a Red, White and MOO cow!

NUTTY APRICOT OATMEAL COOKIES -  Claudia's recipe
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup chopped raw walnuts
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking
soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Stir in walnuts and dried apricots.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie
sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 24
Adapted this recipe from regular oatmeal raisin cookies found online. We're lucky to get the best nuts and dried fruit from my fiancé.s family, which
sells at local farmers markets in the Bay Area. The apricot addition makes a delicious tangy twist to a traditional favorite recipe. It can also be
substituted with dried mixed fruit, dried pears, or dried nectarines.

-- Isn't this the cutest cow photo ever?