Since it’s a new year (which, of course, means a new commitment to my health and all that jazz), I’ve promised myself I won’t bake cookies with Annalyn anymore. Or at least not every week. But then I saw in the church bulletin that they need volunteers to bake cookies for college student care packages.
It’s like I didn’t have a choice. I had to bake. I thought it would be okay, since I planned to bake them in advance and freeze them until the delivery day. Unfortunately, I underestimated my love of frozen oatmeal cookies and my husband’s willingness to just thaw them out. I should have added raisins.
Because, that’s right, I don’t like raisins in my oatmeal cookies (ew). Or butterscotch chips (gross). I just like plain simple oatmeal cookies.
Well, actually I like plain oatmeal cookie dough. And frozen plain oatmeal cookies, for that matter. But you get the picture.
Somebody gets a LITTLE excited to bake!
I used my mom’s tried and true recipe for oatmeal cookies back in December, when we made plates of Christmas goodies for Annalyn’s preschool teachers. They were good, but I thought they were a little bland. (Bland is completely different than plain, by the way. At least when it comes to oatmeal cookies and my weird personal opinion.)
I wondered if that might be because I didn’t have honey, which the recipe called for. I also wondered if changing two cups of sugar to one cup of sugar and one cup of brown sugar might spice things up a bit. Then I remembered the magic of Crisco in my mother-in-law’s apple cake and wondered if it might turn ho-hum cookies into something amazing.
And then, just for good measure, I bumped up the cinnamon from two teaspoons to one tablespoon. Yes, I live on the wild side.
mmm...honey...
The result was a batch of delicious oatmeal cookies . . . that tasted exactly like the other cookies we made. Ha! They probably were a bit richer – and definitely irresistible, as evidenced by my husband TAKING THE WHOLE BAG TO WORK! – but honestly, not much different.
Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In one bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, eggs and honey. In separate bowl, mix flour, cinnamon and oats. Combine two mixtures and stir. You’ll need a good wooden spoon and some muscle, because the batter will be fairly dry and stiff. Spoon onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Yields 4-5 dozen cookies, depending on how big you like them.
Now I’m wondering if adding applesauce or grated apples would kick the flavor up a notch. What do you think?
Do you like add-ins – nuts, raisins, coconut, chips, etc. – in your cookies?
This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Foodie Friday, Friday Firsts and Food on Fridays. It will also be linked to Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home.
I don’t like raisins or butterscotch chips in mine either…yuck! However, I’ve had them with dried cranberries and THAT’s yummy! otherwise i walk on the simple side as well.
Dried cranberries? Next thing I know you’re going to be telling me to add raspberry sauce to my chocolate cake! Crazy! ;)
I’m always on the quest for the perfect oatmeal cookie recipe. I think I’m the only person in the world left who loves raisins in cookies. I love honey in cookies. I also love frozen cookies. I guess what I’m saying is I love cookies.
I love cookies, too. And, if it’s any consolation, my mom likes raisins in cookies. But maybe that’s not helpful after all… :)
I love raisins, and nuts in my cookies. Oh, oatmeal raisin cookies are my favorite too.
woah…. these look soooo good! I am on a diet, but these are one of the first things i want to sink my teeth into! yummmmm
Oh no! Don’t ruin your diet with my cookies! :)
Yum…great oatmeal cookies. I would like to invite you to bring a dish to my Full Plate Thursday. Thank you for sharing and you have a great week!
I love a good spicy oatmeal cookie, so your idea of bumping up the cinnamon sounds like a wise choice to me. Your cookies may not have any mix-ins, but I have no doubt they were fantastic all on their own.
Thanks. They WERE pretty good…even frozen! ;)
If you decide to make more for the college care packages, I can tell you that they will be most appreciated. When I was in college, my cousin sent me a tin full of peanut butter and it made me happy for an entire week!
Other than that, I’ll eat any cookie, but I prefer there not be any nuts involved. I’ll still eat the cookie with nuts, but I won’t enjoy it quite as much :)
Oh, I’ll make more cookies for the college students. I’m searching for a recipe that yields closer to the 10 dozen I’m supposed to bake (so I don’t have to make quite as many batches)!
Your Cookies sound delightful, I like the ratio of oats to flour. I would add the nuts & raisins
I love raisins in my oatmeal cookies! I’m a total add-in fiend. Nuts, dried fruit, seeds, spices. You name it and I throw it into breads, muffins, and cookies.
LOVE Oatmeal Cookies! Thanks for linking at our virtual cookie swap! Looks delicious!