Cookie As Big As My Head

I could use some lovin' today.   It's raining again, the cold, skin-piercing kind that makes you think winter might actually be coming to the northern hemisphere.  The rivers have already flooded around here (relevant for me since I cross one of them four times on the way to and from work), and I know that tonight's commute home will be interesting, to say the least.

At least I'm going to yoga tonight, and the Bean is kicking away at my lower abdomen.

When I drive I. to school, we listen to Kids Place Live on XM radio (his request), and there's a song by a group called Lunch Money that they sometimes play, entitled "Cookie As Big As My Head."  While I don't agree with everything the song says (I am, after all, an advocate for mostly healthy eating), sometimes, really, you just need a cookie as big as your head.  It so happens I made some of these the other night, for a group of women who had never met before, but whom I felt had a lot in common.  The recipe is from a wonderful little cafe near us called the Lovin' Oven, and if you feel like you need some lovin', too, bake yourself up some of these.  I do recommend halving the recipe, though.  It's a LOT of cookie.

Lovin' Oven Fruit and Nut Cookies

4 1/2 c. flour (I used half whole wheat pastry)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
1 lb. butter (or unsalted margarine for the vegans among us)
2 c. light brown sugar
1 c. sugar (you could use 2/3 c. agave, but the dough will be more watery, and you'll need to reduce cooking temp by 25 degrees, and bake them for a bit longer)
4 eggs (vegans can use egg replacer or 1 T. ground flax seeds plus 3 T.water)
4 t. vanilla
3 c. shredded coconut (unsweetened)

3 c. chopped dried apricots (or other dried fruit)
2 1/2 c. dried cherries (or other dried fruit)
4 1/2 c. sliced natural almonds (or other nuts)

Preheat oven to 350.  Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside.  In a separate bowl, toss together dried fruit and nuts and set this aside, too.

With a stand mixer (or something that beats things into oblivion), cream butter and sugars until light, scraping the bowl several times as necessary.  Add eggs, two at a time, incorporating fully and scraping the bowl as necessary.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  In two to three additions, mix in the flour mixture, but be careful not to overbeat it!

Mix in fruit and nuts by hand until well distributed.  Using an ice cream scoop (I prefer the kind with the handle you can squeeze to release the ice cream), scoop cookies onto a cookie sheets, leaving at least three inches between cookies. Press down slightly to flatten and bake until lightly browned 12-16 minutes.  Ovens vary, so make sure that your cookies are set in the center; the centers really should be lightly browned.