Preheat oven to 350º

Toast almonds on a sheet pan, approximately 8-9 minutes. Set aside and let cool

Put fully cooled nuts and the oats in a blender, add ¼ cup of flour, and pulse into a fine, breadcrumb-like consistency (You may need to do this in batches depending upon the size of your food processer or blender)

Combine nut/oat mixture with 1 cup of flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and dried fruits, mix, and set aside

Cream butter and both sugars together on medium-high speed until pale and smooth

Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, turn back on at medium speed. Add one egg. When incorporated, add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Turn mixer to medium-high speed and mix until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes

Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add dry ingredients. Scrape down bowl at least once during mixing

Dough should hold together but not be too sticky to roll into balls

Measure a heaping 1/3 cup dough, drop cookies onto a baking sheet lined with Silpat. You can fit 5 cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake cookies for 16 minutes until golden in color, but still soft to the touch. If using 2 baking sheets, place one on upper rack and one on the lower, switching the pans halfway through the cooking time. Cool on pan for 5 minutes then on wire rack until completely cool.