Fresh Peach Drop Cookies

In one of the unfortunate side effects of a new school year, I woke up Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m., wide awake. Josh and I had plans to take the kids hiking that morning, so I decided to make something for breakfast that would give everyone plenty of energy for the brutal less-than-one-mile-round-trip hike we would be undertaking. Cookies were the obvious choice. And since these contain fresh peaches, I can attest to you they are very healthful-I had 3 before the hike, and I felt very energized the entire mile.

Fresh Peach Drop Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1/3 cup peach jam or preserves
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
2. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Add peaches and jam, and beat until just combined.
3. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing about 2 inches apart. (If not baking all of the cookies at once, refrigerate dough between batches; dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.) Combine sanding sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle each cookie with 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon-sugar mixture.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes (with these cookies, it's important to make sure they're really done-I underbaked my first batch, and they were pretty gooey.) Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes, and then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
   
   Josh had the unpleasant task of carrying Carson, who happens to carry the title of The Individual with the Stinkiest Feet in the United States.  (The Individual with the Second Stinkiest Feet happens to be his brother-just the other day I was having Owen try on some shoes at Old Navy, and I hadn't had his shoes off for 30 seconds before I could hear customers around the corner expressing concern over the smell)
   
   
   
   Dylan, Owen, and Owen's bear he has named "TINA" at the top of Ensign Peak.
   
   
   
   Me with my tiny head, and Carso.