Oatmeal raisin cookies are my all-time favorite – yes, I like them even better than chocolate chip! So it’s no exaggeration to say that I am always looking for the perfect oatmeal cookie. I found what looked like a pretty basic version in Food For Us All. 1969 Yearbook of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture – a quasi cookbook. I have no recollection where and when I acquired this book but I know it was very useful when I was writing food articles for the Columbia Missourian when I was an undergraduate – later graduate student – in the Journalism School at the University of Missouri. It covers far more than recipes. It explains how farm to table actually works, includes a buying and cooking guide for everything from meats to veggies and has a whole section explaining how food impacts lives. Pictures and recipes are a plus – this book was where I first learned how to make turkey stuffing! I vividly remember when I accidentally put the book down on a hot burner. Thankfully I just scorched the cover!
I anticipated a thick soft cookie but I was wrong. These are actually lacy-like and have a delectable crunch. They were incredibly hard to resist so I packed them up and sent them with my husband to his office. I can always make more. They are every bit as good as they look!
Oatmeal Cookies
¾ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raisins
3 cups rolled oats, uncooked
Place shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla in a mixing bowl; beat thoroughly. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda; add to shortening mixture, mix well. Blend in oats and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Note: I was surprised that they spread as much as they did so do space them. I refrigerated half of the batter to see if it made a difference. It did not.
connieiscooking 
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