Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Kitchen Sink Cookies


It was a race to get these photographed before they were all gone. I like to think of these cookies as health food. Ha! But they do contain (more or less) whole grain (oatmeal) anti-oxidant (chocolate chips) and nuts, and fruit (raisins) and coconut which I can't decide but might possibly be a vegetable???
No matter, they are like a staple around here when cookies are needed, and isn't that daily?
Since I was the beneficiary of my mother's Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, it has made making these even easier. To think I used to mix them by hand. Eek.
So because I love you and know you need a cookie break, here's the recipe, adapted by me from the out of print HP Books Cookies by Natalie Hartanov Haughton.
Famous Oatmeal Cookies Aka Kitchen Sink
3/4 c vegetable shortening
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg
1/4 c hot water (from plumping raisins)
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon (essential!!)
3 cups rolled oats
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt if desired
Extras: Chocolate chips, coconut, walnuts or pecans, or peanuts, plumped in the microwave raisins: as much as you like, or have on hand or as much as the dough can hold, which is a lot.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease baking sheets (or use nonstick spray, or whatever)
Cream the shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla and then mix in dry ingredients and the whole kitchen sink of extras.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Make at least 60 (3") cookies.
Eat in bed and get crumbs in laptop.

10 comments:

  1. Yummy, similar to one I make, putting in finely chopped candied ginger along with the raisins.
    One of those would be good with my tea right now.
    Cheers
    Penny

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  2. Mmmmmmmm, health food(har).

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  3. Anonymous8:05 PM

    Coconut's a seed, contains very healthy oils.
    Substitute butter for shortening (saturated fats are healthier than trans fats) and you'll have an even healthier cookie!
    - Laura

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  4. Hi Melody,
    These sounds extra yummy!
    Just wondering what proportion you use for the "extras"; would you say about 3 cups total of whatever fits your mood?

    Thanks
    Vicky F

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  5. Yum! They sound great! Is vegetable shortening the same thing as margarine? Can I substitute that - or use butter? I don't think we have anything called vegetable shortening here in little ol' New Zealand!

    Thanks,

    Virginia

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  6. omigosh! I can practically smell them baking now...mmmmm....

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  7. I'm done! These are SUPER-delicious! (mine have craisins, walnuts, and milk chocolate chips, just what I happened to have on hand) Health food, my fat fanny! thanks for the recipe! ;o)

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  8. Anonymous9:58 AM

    I used to make something very similiar,and called them cowboy cookies. You can't keep them around.... Patty

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  9. I made a batch of these cookies on Saturday. It's only Monday and they've all been eaten. I had one. They were absolutely delicious.
    Just used ingredients I had in the home - substituted butter for shortening - added chopped cashews and cake cherries (can't remember the name but you know what I mean) plus sultanas and grated dark chocolate - sprinkled tops with extra cinnamon and caster sugar (well, it's not every day you have a treat is it?) Fab!! Thanks Melody.

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  10. I'd love to try these - how do you measure shortening in a cup please? Do you actually put it in then scrape it out again? Now I've written it down it sounds like a really dumb question. I cook by weight, not volume in the UK, but I have got a set of cup measures.

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