Recipes with Helen Austin Oatmeal Cookies |
© 2011 Helen Austin. All rights reserved.
People sometimes ask if my mother was a good cook and if I learned to cook from her. The
truth is, she was the single working mother of three girls, so her cooking was pretty basic.
But one of my favorite childhood pastimes was watching my grandmother cook in her big old
white kitchen. She had lived in new Orleans as a child and made pralines and cream puffs to
die for. I never mastered those specialties, but I did learn to make these oatmeal cookies.
Store-bought cookies, including the ones from the supermarket bakery, are a lot sweeter
than these. Because they're not very sweet, my sisters and I were allowed to have them with
bacon for supper about once a month.
truth is, she was the single working mother of three girls, so her cooking was pretty basic.
But one of my favorite childhood pastimes was watching my grandmother cook in her big old
white kitchen. She had lived in new Orleans as a child and made pralines and cream puffs to
die for. I never mastered those specialties, but I did learn to make these oatmeal cookies.
Store-bought cookies, including the ones from the supermarket bakery, are a lot sweeter
than these. Because they're not very sweet, my sisters and I were allowed to have them with
bacon for supper about once a month.
| Grandmother's Oatmeal Cookies |
Helen Austin was food editor at the Arkansas Democrat for six years and has since been a
contributor to Active Years and the Arkansas Times. Having no formal education in either
journalism or home economics, she credits any expertise in these fields to a lifelong interest in
food and writing.
Helen's food philosophy consists of getting the best, freshest ingredients available, then cooking
them in the simplest manner possible. She and her husband, Jerry, prepare most of their meals at
home.
contributor to Active Years and the Arkansas Times. Having no formal education in either
journalism or home economics, she credits any expertise in these fields to a lifelong interest in
food and writing.
Helen's food philosophy consists of getting the best, freshest ingredients available, then cooking
them in the simplest manner possible. She and her husband, Jerry, prepare most of their meals at
home.
½ cup raisins
Milk
½ stick butter (one-fourth cup), softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg or 2 small eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Milk
½ stick butter (one-fourth cup), softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg or 2 small eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
In a small container, plump raisins in enough milk to cover.
In a large bowl, cream softened butter with sugar. Stir in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine flour with baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.
Drain raisins and reserve. Stir milk into cookie dough. Stir in rolled oats, then raisins and chopped nuts.
(Dough will be very dense; use your hands if necessary to thoroughly mix all ingredients.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet(s). With a small spoon, form cookies about 1
inch apart. They won't spread much, but don't crowd them.
Bake in upper part of preheated oven about 15 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown around
edges. Remove from oven, loosen cookies with a spatula, and let cool completely before storing in
airtight container.
Makes 30-40 cookies. Recipe may be doubled.
In a large bowl, cream softened butter with sugar. Stir in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, combine flour with baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir into creamed mixture.
Drain raisins and reserve. Stir milk into cookie dough. Stir in rolled oats, then raisins and chopped nuts.
(Dough will be very dense; use your hands if necessary to thoroughly mix all ingredients.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet(s). With a small spoon, form cookies about 1
inch apart. They won't spread much, but don't crowd them.
Bake in upper part of preheated oven about 15 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown around
edges. Remove from oven, loosen cookies with a spatula, and let cool completely before storing in
airtight container.
Makes 30-40 cookies. Recipe may be doubled.
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