Karen, Don't Even Read This

Sunday afternoon I knew it had been way too long since I'd baked anything. While Bud was home teaching, I randomly pulled out one of the many cookbooks from the shelf, let it fall open to wherever it wanted and I decided that was good enough!
The cookbook is Favorite Brand Name Recipes, but I never knew that until just now because the name on the book just says Old Fashioned Cookies, Illustrated by Debbie Mumm. Of course, the reason I bought the book in the first place was because of that! Love Debbie Mumm.

Karen? Are you reading this? Or did you see the coconut on that cookie and throw your computer across the room vowing never to look at my blog again?

Well, this recipe is just a straight oatmeal cookie. It was my own whacky brain that added the coconut. That's just how I am. Karen? Are you sure I'm your mother? Are you sure you're my daughter?

These cookies were excellent. Even if you left the coconut out, since that's how the recipe goes, they're still very good. But the coconut makes them excellent. Unless you hate coconut. Karen?

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup butter-flavor Crisco shortening (Samuel, don't judge!)

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (I used 1/2 tsp)

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (okay- YUCK! this is where I substituted the coconut, 1 cup of it)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine shortening, brown sugar, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended.

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix into shortening mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in raisins and (coconut) walnuts (yuck).

Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets sprayed with non-stick cooking spray (seriously, can't I just say Pam?).

Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degrees (does anyone know a keyboard shortcut to make the little circley degree symbol?) for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.

You can see that some of the cookies are plain, some are topped with the Almond Joy Pieces (they worked well here!) and some are sprinkled with even more coconut.

Sorry, Karen. I'll try not to talk about coconut for the rest of the month. Oh wait, that only means until next Monday! I think I can do that :)
P.S. On a Mac, the circley degree symbol is made by pressing shift + option + 8. Like this °. On a PC it's alt 248. Now you know.