You can pretty much use any dried fruit, nuts, or chips that you like in these cookies. Just follow the basic recipe and change the last four ingredients to suit your tastes. You can stay mainstream with them or go crazy and add something out of the ordinary, like dried tropical fruits and macadamia nuts.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 4 dozen cookies

　　1 cup butter, softened

　　1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　2 eggs

　　1 teaspoon vanilla

　　2 cups flour

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　2 cups oatmeal

　　1 cup raisins

　　1 cup coconut

　　1 cup chopped walnuts

　　1 cup white chocolate chips

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl and stir until completely smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal and stir until the flour is completely incorporated. Fold in the raisins, coconut, walnuts, and white chocolate chips.

　　

Step 3

Drop golf ball–size spoonfuls of the dough onto a baking sheet about 3 inches apart and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges and set in the center. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and cool on parchment or waxed paper.

　　College Cooking