An introduction & Absolutely Excellent Oatmeal Cookies.

Well, hello! I'm Susan Hayes. Sarah asked me to contribute to her food blog every now and again.. this is a bit intimidating since the girl is so darn good at everything. Her photos, her food, and not to mention those two little guys she has running around! But, hey, this isn't a competition. It's baking. And I love baking. So, I'll be stopping in to let you know when I run across something fabulous. If you'd like to know anything else about my little life, you can find me here. Happy baking!

Absolutely Excellent Oatmeal Cookies

I love these cookies. They have a "cakey" texture that sets them apart from my other cookie recipes. I could also call them "Kitchen Sink Cookies" because I will often throw whatever I have into the batter. I almost always replace the raisins with something else, like more chocolate chips. That's just how we do things around here. Disclaimer: This recipe makes a TON of cookies. I use an ice cream scooper to put the dough on the cookie sheets and I end up with about 70 cookies. If you don't want that many, just scoop the cookies on the baking sheet and place in the freezer, unbaked. Once frozen, pop the cookies in a freezer bag and take them out as needed! Still bake at 350, but it may take a few more minutes of baking time!

1 c. shortening (or butter)
2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 c. sour milk*
1 t. vanilla
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. raisins
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease cookie sheets.**
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the sour milk and vanilla. Combine the next 5 ingredients (the flour through the cinnamon) and gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the rolled oats and your choice of additions. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 15 minutes or until nice and brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
*I put about 1 T. of vinegar OR lemon juice in the measuring cup then add milk to the 1 c. measure and let it sit for about 5 minutes. I asked my mother in law why sour milk and she said it acts as a leavening agent.
** I have never greased the cookies sheets, I use a silpat baking sheet, but I think parchment would work, too!