Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

Now this is a perfect afternoon...

Okay, now before you all get jealous on me, the tea cup was empty, the cookies were still frozen and I was up to my eyeballs in chilli. I made so much I couldn't fit it in the pot. Actually, this happens every time I make chilli, so I should not be surprised. And I have yet to crack open that book.

These cookies were originally called Ranger Cookies. My mom remembers eating them when she was a wee lass. Not these particular ones, of course. I changed the ingredients considerably, so I thought they should have a new name. That, or the fact I've never seen a ranger or his cookies.

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups crisp rice cereal
2 cups large flake oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut

1. Cream butter and sugars.
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Get your hands in there and mix in the cereal, oatmeal and coconut.
5. Drop onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 F (180º C) for 8 minutes.

The original recipe called for raisins, which I detest in anything baked, but you may not have the same sentiments, so feel free to add some. I cut out some of the sugar from the original recipe. Feel free to experiment there. You could use all white or all whole wheat flour in this recipe. I wouldn't substitute quick oats. It does horrible things to recipes calling for large flake oats. Crisp rice cereal, AKA Rice Krispies. I was trying to be all 'brand name free'. Which leads me another rabbit trail. The No Name version makes for a ghastly batch of Rice Krispies Squares. Don't do it!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe has oatmeal and whole wheat flour. Healthy stuff. I promise!

Ingredients
1 cup margarine or butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups large flake oatmeal (not 'instant' or 'quick oats')
1 cup chocolate chips (feel free to be liberal - I never measure)
1 cup pecans (optional but very yummy, coming from someone who doesn't like nuts in baking)

1. Cream margarine and sugars. You can cut back on the sugar if you want to. I never pack the brown sugar into the measuring cup. Keep it loose!
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Bake at 350 F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies should look underdone. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about a minute or they'll fall apart when you lift them off the pan. They should stay chewy when cooled. If not, you baked them too long.

Sugar Cookies

Okay, so I totally stole this from Martha Stewart, so the link is below. If you're wondering what a stick of butter is, I'll save you the googling time: 1/2cup. I used margarine instead of butter, and I certainly didn't follow those high maintenance instructions. Cream margarine and sugar. Add the wet stuff followed by the dry stuff. I think I made them smaller, but her picture looks like my picture in terms of size. I baked them for ten minutes. Martha's oven must not be very efficient.

Giant Sugar Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles

I found many different versions of this recipe on my favourite recipe websites. This version is my favourite because it uses oil instead of margarine, butter or shortening. (Just because oil is quicker to measure and my life is too busy.) Sometimes, substituting oil for margarine changes the taste and makes cakes or cookies bland in comparison. This is an exception.

Ingredients
1 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) for coating

1. Mix together cocoa, sugar and oil.
2. Beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Stir in vanilla,
4. Add flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Chill two hours.
6. Roll dough into balls and coat with icing sugar.
7. Bake at 350 F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes. It's difficult to tell when they're done because of the chocolate colour. Take them out the oven sooner rather than later or they'll be hard.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups white flour
2 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Extra white sugar for coating

1. Cream margarine and sugar.
2. Beat in egg, then water and molasses.
3. Add dry ingredients.
4. Shape dough into balls and then roll them in white sugar.
5. Place them on a cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
6. Bake at 350 F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, depending how big you make the cookies. They shouldn't turn brown on the top or around the edges. If they are over-baked, they will be hard.