Oatmeal Cookies

250 gm [1 cup] unsalted butter - softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour - sifted
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour (for dredging)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups porridge oats
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1 cup finely chopped apricots
1 cup coarsely chopped white or milk chocolates

Preheat oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
In a bowl combine 1 1/2 cup flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda until well mixed. Set aside.
Toss the apricots with the 1 Tbsp flour in another container. Set aside.
Beat together in a big bowl the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla at medium speed until well combined.
Add in the flour mixture to the beaten butter mixture with a wooden spoon.
Stir in oats and hazelnuts.
Add in apricots and chopped chocolates. Mix well.
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and flatten slightly. Place them about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 11 - 13 minutes or until slightly moist in the centre and browned at the edges.
Remove from oven and let cool for a couple of minutes before carefully removing from the baking sheets onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.
Note: If the dough is too soft, the baked result tends to be too spread out or flat. You can put the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes before shaping them into balls. Or you can shape them into balls first then put in the fridge for the same amount of time or you can do both (chill before and after shaping into balls).