An old friend of mine recently wrote me an e-mail. He recalled a time, many years ago, when he raided my snacks at a dog show and found oatmeal cookies, among other home-made confections. Those cookies left a lasting impression and he wanted the recipe.
I am not a fan of oatmeal cookies. Most of the time when you buy them, they're flat, chewy and too salty. These cookies, however, are made out of simple ingredients including raisins cooked until they are plump. In an era where most prepared foods come with a list of ingredients, many which the common person cannot even pronounce, these cookies are elementally simple.
My great-aunt Barbara had many of these old-fashioned, uncomplicated cookie recipes. After her untimely passing in the mid-1950's, my grandmother kept many of them. They were distributed to friends and family over the years, though I have the original hand-written copies.
If you are a fan of simple ingredients and perhaps, a healthier choice for snacks, these oatmeal cookies will provide both. You may need to make some ingredient adjustments depending on your altitude. I commonly add an extra two tablespoons of flour.
If I were trapped on a desert island or stranded on the side of Mt. Everest, these cookies would be what I would want in my backpack !
Oatmeal Cookies by Barbara Mastel, c.1945
Step 1:
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
Simmer raisins and water in saucepan over low heat until raisins are plump (20-30 minutes). Drain to make 1/2 cup raisin water.
Step two:
Combine following ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
(I use Crisco)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup raisin water
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups rolled oats
(not quick oats!)
Mix until well blended. Fold in raisins. Drop onto greased cookie sheets, about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, dough will be sticky.
Bake in oven preheated at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cooking time and temperature may need adjustment according to elevation and humidity.