Because sometimes, cookies are just the ticket.
This is not your average oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.
As you can see from the picture above, they're crunchy - brittle, almost - which makes them absolutely irresistible.
These cookies are a staple of my childhood. My mom (who got the recipe from my grandmother, Nonnie) would usually make two batches: one with nuts (for my dad and me) and one without (for my younger brother, who, for the first 15 years of his life, only ate things that started with "ch," like chocolate, chicken, and cheese).
I whipped this up for Jordan to take to work last week and he said they were a big hit. They're not complicated (nor are they healthy - full disclosure), but they are perfectly delicious.
What makes these cookies so different from others?
The balance of salt against sugar is really the star of this recipe. They're crunchy, but light, so when you finish one, you feel like you could go back for five more. (And if you're me, you do go back for five more.) Trust. These will knock you out.
Ingredients:
1 cup Crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups Quaker Old Fashioned oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Cream crisco and sugars together.
3. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
4. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly. (Tip: Make sure your flour mixture is whisked smooth - no lumps!)
5. If you're a nut kind of gal (or guy), add pecans and stir them in with a wooden spoon.
6. Drop by the rounded tablespoon onto a greased baking sheet, parchment, or (my favorite thing in the world) a clean Silpat.
7. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, depending on your oven. The cookies will be golden brown and have a light, crunchy texture when they're cooled. If you can manage not to eat the dough, this recipe yields 48!
This is a perfect, quick, and seriously crowd-pleasing cookie to make if you ever need to bake for lost of people - a work event, bake sale, party, etc. People will be begging you for the recipe!
