by Karolyn Burdick, landowner on Pysht River
- 1 C white sugar
- 1 C brown sugar
- 1 C shortening (scant)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 C flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 C oatmeal
- 1 C Wheaties, crushed
- 1 C coconut
- 1 C walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 2/3 – 1 C chocolate chips
Cream sugars and shortening together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Blend in flour mixture and stir thoroughly. Add oatmeal, Wheaties, coconut, walnuts and chocolate being sure to mix them all in completely. Place by spoonfuls (teaspoon or tablespoon according to your choice) on cookie sheet. (You may note need to grease the cookie sheet because there is so much shortening in the recipe.) Cook at 350 degrees, 10 minutes (+/-, depending on oven).
REAL COOKIES
by Robbie Mantooth, landowner on Ennis Creek
1. Prepare fruit. Be adventurous. Use whatever fresh or dried fruit you happen to have. I’ve used raisins, dried apricots, cranberries, figs, apples, plums, and cherries. Raisins are fine too. If you use fresh fruit, remember to keep extra cookies frozen if you aren’t going to use them within about a day. They could mold!
I like to grate the skin of an orange (with large-hole side of grater) and then squeeze the juice out of the orange. I’ve also used apple cider or other fruit juices. If you are using dried fruit, put the juice in a pan and use it to “fluff” up the fruit by bringing the liquid to boiling with the dried fruit in it. Cover the pan, turn off the heat and let the fruit sit until you’re ready for it. Be careful. I have ruined a pan because I was talking on the phone and didn’t turn the burner off until the fruit had been permanently melded with the bottom of the pan. I think microwaving would work well for this. I must try it!
2. Get out your biggest pot and pour the following in it:
½ to 1 sack (1.5 to 2 lbs.) of dark brown sugar
3 cups canola oil
1 cup eggbeaters (any brand)
1 or more tablespoons of good vanilla
about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon or a combination of cinnamon and other spices like cloves, nutmeg or allspice
Prepared fruit
Nut pieces, if desired (I often put one nut on top of each cookie before baking it.)
3. Stir together well in separate container:
4 cups all-purpose flour (I usually use up to half whole what.)
1 teaspoon baking soda (not baking powder!)
4. Stir the flour and baking soda mixture gently into the big pot.
5. Add oats and anything else you want until the dough doesn’t seem to take up any more. I like the thick rolled oats I get at Country Aire, Sunny Farms or Saar’s (where they are already bagged). Sometimes I stir in various dry cereals, including Fiber One, even though one of our sons once described that ingredient as rebar.
6. Go to 8 (below) if you want to freeze all the dough. Put mounds of cookie dough on parchment paper on top of a cookie sheet or spray the cookie sheet with oil. If you want thin cookies, dampen your hands and smash each one flat.
7. Bake at 375 about 10 minutes until slightly brown on top and still chewy but not liquidy. Let cookies rest on pan for about 5 minutes before moving them to a serving plate or putting them in a container for freezing.
8. For a continuing supply of fresh-baked cookies, tear off some sheets of plastic wrap or use old plastic grocery bags. Put some water in a container. Dampen your hands and put piles of dough on each sheet. Use the sheets or bags to help you form rolls of dough. Freeze the rolls. Thaw a roll or more for about 10 minutes and then just slice off as many as you want to bake. Dampen your hands and smash them flat so they won’t look factory produced.
From the landowner: “Start with the philosophy that you can quadruple the recipe in as much time as it takes to make one recipe. That way you’ll have plenty to share with others and keep in the freezer for a quick treat. I freeze most of the dough in rolls, but frozen baked cookies also last for several months and taste fine, especially if you warm them in the oven a bit before serving them. Enjoy!”