Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cherries

That's right, schmaltz oatmeal cookies. We had to have something sweet! The schmaltz does have a great effect here—it doesn't make the cookie taste like chicken, but it does give it a savory depth to balance the sweetness. So using schmaltz in a cookie turns out to be a fascinating and useful example of balancing sweet with a savory ingredient. I love the tart, dense dried cherries in these cookies, but this recipe is a great all-purpose vehicle for whatever garnish you want to give them—raisins, dried cranberries, walnuts, pecans or a mixture of any or all of the above.