QUICK MIX OATMEAL COOKIES

It just doesn't look right having an empty cookie jar on my kitchen counter. It has actually been empty for a couple of weeks now. The last cookies I made were the awesome Snickers Bites Cookies. They were so good. Even Sean, one of the boys next door, was talking about them when he returned my tin I had them in when I gave them to Jeff and Wyatt. (They had left two cookies in the tin and when Sean got home at the end of the week, he found them and ate them both.)

I thought I would make these Quick Mix Oatmeal Cookies from my Canadian Mennonite Cookbook because they were quick and easy and the recipe didn't make a bunch. I did reduce the sugar in them by using brown sugar blend and sugar/stevia blend since I knew we would be eating most of them ourselves. (I did give Friends Janice and Fran some to enjoy.) I also added some chocolate, white, and peanut butter chips - just because. 

QUICK MIX OATMEAL COOKIES

1         cup flour
1/2     teaspoon salt
1/2     teaspoon baking powder
1/2     teaspoon soda
1/2     cup brown sugar (I used 1/4 cup brown sugar/stevia blend)
1/2     cup granulated sugar (I used 1/4 cup sugar/stevia blend)
1/2     cup shortening
1         egg
1         tablespoon water
1         teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2  cups rolled oats, uncooked
(3/4    cup chips - optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease or spray cookie sheets.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, and soda together into mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients except oats.

Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Fold in oats.

Shape into small balls. (I used my cookie scoop that holds 1 tablespoon water. I left the first cookie sheet as the dough came out of the scoop with flat side down on the sheet. They didn't flatten at all as they baked so for the rest of the sheets,

I flattened the dough slightly with my fingers.)

Bake 12 to 15 minutes. (I would recommend you check the cookies after 10 minutes.

I baked the first two sheets 12 minutes - on the right - but then baked the last two only 10 minutes - on the left. I preferred the color of the latter.)

I made two cookies "plain"

and then added 3/4 cup of mixed chocolate chips, white chips, and peanut butter chips. 

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

(Volunteer Elaine brought a big bag of mixed chips - chocolate, white, and peanut butter - maybe even butterscotch. The one I tasted was peanut butter but since they look the same, who knows. Anyway, since no one had taken any, I took two generous glassfuls to use in my baking.)