Preheat oven to 375° Line cookie sheets with parchment or a Silpat. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and both white and brown sugar in a large bowl for three minutes. On low, whisk the eggs and vanilla. Slowly incorporate flour mixture until just combined. Please avoid over-mixing. Stir in oats, dried apricot, golden raisins, and pecans. Mix well.
Chilling the dough leads to a personal cookie preference. I tried three different ways with this recipe and found -Bake immediately without chilling: a thicker cookie, crisp edges, and a soft middle.Chilled for 30 minutes: a flatter cookie, not as crisp edges, and a soft middle. A more even baked cookie.Chilled for 24 hours: a thicker cookie, crisp edges, a soft middle, and deeper flavor of the three.The truth is, once co-mingled, they're all delicious.To chill or not - your cookie ♥️ your choice.
Are you in the mood for a big or small cookie? Select the size and scoop your dough. Roll the dough into a ball and place them on the baking pan sheet about 2 inches apart. Just as you would with a chocolate chip, stud or push dried apricots and golden raisins into the tops of the dough (which I forgot to do this time!).
Baking times vary because of ovens and based on how chilled your dough is, but for big cookies, bake for 12 to 14 minutes and for small for 8-10 minutes. Cookies are finished when the edges are golden and the tops appear slightly underdone. Remove cookies and let them cool on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. I double dog dare you not to grab a bite... or four.
Notes
For a smaller batch, halve this recipe.
For a change, I add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon clove; they're equally delicious.
Freezer option one: scoop dough into portions on a baking sheet, freeze for a couple of hours, then add to an airtight container and label with the date. Once ready to bake, follow the recipe directions. They may bake for the same time listed straight out of the freezer.
Freezer option two: freeze baked cookies in an airtight container for one month.