My Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

This is a wonderful chewy oatmeal cookie recipe which came from my mom. I had not used it for so long that I didn't even realize I had the recipe! My California sister, Karla came to visit with a box of the most delicious Oatmeal Cookies. She seemed a bit astonished that I didn't have Mom's recipe and she shared it with me. Lo and behold, the very last recipe in the cookie section of my box was the same exact recipe, complete with "MOM" written in the corner. It has been one of my cookie regulars ever since.

Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

1 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 c. flour

3 c. quick oats

Thoroughly cream together the sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixture. Add the oats and stir in.

Form into balls and roll in sugar before placing on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Cool on baking sheets until cookies are firm. Remove and cool thoroughly before stacking.

Make Them Even Better . . .

A friend gave me a bag of Caramel Bits. I had never seen these and neither had she until she found them listed in a recipe. She got to investigating and found them online when they were not to be found locally. She ordered a case and I reaped the benefit of a bag. I added them to the cookies pictured above and oh, boy, they were a winner. I may have to order my own case of Caramel Bits!

Another of my favorite add ins is Cinnamon Chips. They are not always available either, but I usually buy them locally in the fall and this year all the way through the holiday season. I often add a teaspoon of cinnamon along with the dry ingredients, too.

My sister Karla makes them with dried blueberries and they are incredibly good with some of the hickory nuts that our Dad used to pick up in the timber and shell out in his spare time in the winter. I wonder if he knows how much we miss his hickory nuts. I still have one box in the freezer and I eat one or two pieces every now and then. They are way too precious to even put in cookies. 

If you add in any of these items or your own favorites, just stir them in with the oats.

I usually don't roll in balls, I use my medium cookie scoop. That is close enough to a ball for me. I roll the rounded side in sugar and plop down the flat side.

I Always Use These

My nearly ancient sifter and parchment paper are my friends! I believe in the benefits of thoroughly combining the dry ingredients, but sifting also adds air to the mix. So, if you don't have a sifter at least whisk or stir your dry ingredients in a bowl before adding. Also, measure those dry ingredients carefully! Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off. Please don't scoop the cup into the flour and fill it up. It puts more flour into the cup than the recipe is formulated to use. Cookies will be softer, chewier, and more moist if everything is measured carefully. 

Lining the baking sheets with parchment paper keeps the cookies soft and golden. It also makes clean up a breeze. Tear off a piece of parchment for each cookie sheet, just the size of the sheet. 

Completely Unrelated But I Just Can't Help Myself . . .

My other sister, Pam and her husband Jim gave me these sweet Bear Paw Meat Handling Forks for Christmas. They look a bit dangerous and I think that is why they work so well! They do damage in a similar manner as the real deal might work. I shredded these 6 chicken breasts in just a few minutes. It would have taken a LOT longer to use a fork, trust me! I think they got them at Cabella's, but I bet you can find a nifty pair online while you are looking for the Caramel Bits!

Happy hunting and as always, I wish you good food!