Cherry Sumac Oat Cookies with White Chocolate Cookie

I do love white chocolate and cookies. Some people don’t really appreciate white chocolate, because technically it’s not “real” chocolate — it’s mostly fat and sugar. But that sweetness is exactly why I love it, and to balance it, you need something that cuts through it with a little sourness. I always think of cranberries, but they’re not really common here in the Middle East, so dried cherries are the next best thing. I love cherries in cookies, though dried cherries can lean a bit sweet too.

So for this recipe, I added sumac to give everything more depth and a bright tanginess that lifts the white chocolate. Together, they create this beautiful texture and flavor — fruity, floral, and creamy all at once. And eating them warm, straight from the oven, is honestly the best part. The white chocolate just melts on your tongue and wraps your mouth in this warm, buttery sweetness, and then the sumac nudges in with its tang. It’s such a beautiful sensation in every bite Some people don’t really appreciate white chocolate, because technically it’s not “real” chocolate — it’s mostly fat and sugar. But that sweetness is exactly why I love it, and to balance it, you need something that cuts through it with a little sourness. I always think of cranberries, but they’re not really common here in the Middle East, so dried cherries are the next best thing. I love cherries in cookies, though dried cherries can lean a bit sweet too.

So for this recipe, I added sumac to give everything more depth and a bright tanginess that lifts the white chocolate. Together, they create this beautiful texture and flavor — fruity, floral, and creamy all at once. And eating them warm, straight from the oven, is honestly the best part. The white chocolate just melts on your tongue and wraps your mouth in this warm, buttery sweetness, and then the sumac nudges in with its tang. It’s such a beautiful sensation in every bite

Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients

Wet

• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ½ cup (100 g) sugar

• ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp (80 g) packed light brown sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry

• 232 g all-purpose flour (1¾ cups + 3 tbsp), spooned and leveled

• ¾ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tbsp sumac

• 1¾ cups + 2 tbsp (188 g) rolled oats

Mix-ins

• 1½ cups (255 g) white chocolate, roughly chopped from a bar

• 1 cup (100 g) dried cherries, sliced into pea-size pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed just until combined, about 1 minute.

3. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla; mix for 30 seconds, just until incorporated.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sumac. Mix on low until combined, about 1 minute.

5. Stir in the oats, white chocolate, and dried cherries just until incorporated.

6. Scoop 18 equal balls, about 1½ tablespoons each.

7. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.

8. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the cookies look pale, puffy, and dry on top.

9. Cool on the baking sheet — they will set as they cool.

Note : you can use dried cranberries instead of dried cherries.

Storage / Freezing

• Room temperature: 3–4 days.

• Freeze dough balls: Freeze on a tray, then transfer to a container. Bake from frozen, adding 2–3 minutes.

• Freeze baked cookies: Up to 1 month.