So, yes, these are oatmeal cookies - but don't dismiss them so quickly! Simply put, these little gems are A-MAZING! Sweet. Chewy. Heaven. Do yourself a favor and bake up a batch of these asap - you will never look at an oatmeal cookie the same way again!
What you'll need:
3/4 c butter
1/2 c Crisco shortening
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 c flour
3 c old fashioned oats
powdered sugar (optional)
First, beat together the butter and Crisco until creamy, then add sugars and beat a few minutes more until fluffy.
Add the egg, followed by the vanilla, then the cinnamon. Then add the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Finally, add the oats, and mix until just blended.
I have learned over the years, that cookies seem to hold their shape better (ie, not spread) if the dough is cold. This being said, if you aren't planning to bake them right away, just wrap them up in plastic wrap, or place into a Tupperware container, and stick them in the fridge. I, however, can't resist a nice warm cookie, so to speed up the process I go ahead and dip out all of the cookies onto a wax paper lined pan and place them in the freezer for as long as I can stand to wait (15-30 min). On a side note, this is also a great way to save cookie dough. Once the dough balls have hardened, just roll them up in the wax paper, and store in a freezer bag. You will be especially glad you did this on a random Tuesday night at 9:00 when you have a hankerin for something sweet. (Your waistline....maybe not so much....but hey, they are oatmeal after all, so just consider the cholesterol-lowering benefits!)
When you do get around to baking them, preheat your oven to 325, and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges just begin to brown, and the centers still look slightly uncooked. Leave them on the pan to cook a few minutes longer, then move to a cooling rack.
When the cookies have cooled completely, dust the tops with powdered sugar - not very much, just add a little bit of whimsy. I like to do this in the sink - nothing to wipe up this way, and my husband can testify that wiping things up, or down, or any direction really, is the house chore I most prefer to neglect.
Now, don't resist the urge any longer - grab one of those darlin little bites of bliss and get ready to come to terms with the fact that oatmeal cookies are quite possibly your new favorite. It's ok - it happens to the best of us. Go ahead, eat another just to be doubly sure.
So now that you know I wasn't stretching the truth when I told you these cookies were A-MAZING, let's keep you from eating the entire batch (of 3-4 dozen) and package some up for a friend or two.
First, take that oatmeal container and cover it in paper. I should mention that I keep all of my old oatmeal canisters for occasions just such as this, but they also make super cute containers for everything from craft sufflies to hairbows. I generally mix and match different bits of scrapbook paper, but simple gift wrap would work just as well.
Now, back to the cookies. Just wrap up a dozen cookies in plastic wrap. Then, wrap them up in wax paper - taffy style, with both ends tied. I used twine - bakers twine would be super cute, but again, absolutely anything will work.
Finally, make a label (though it really isn't fair to label them "oatmeal cookies," because then people give you the perfunctory "oh, gee, thanks, oatmeal..." until they finally break down and try one and get kicked in the teeth by all of that deliciousness....). Again, I used scrap book paper, and antiqued the edges with a dark brown ink pad. Just stuff that adorable cookie sleeve into some tissue paper, then pack into super-cute canister. These are great to take to a friend in the hospital, or as a thank you gift, or just a simple gesture to let someone know they're special.
I mean, really, who wouldn't want to dig into something that adorable? ;o) Thanks for visiting, and enjoy!
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