Grandmama's Oatmeal Cookies

You can end your quest for the perfect oatmeal cookie right here and now.

What's that?  You haven't been searching for the perfect oatmeal cookie?

Oh well. 

It's your lucky day anyway.

Most oatmeal cookies call for butter.  Now, generally I'm a huge butter fan.  But butter makes oatmeal cookies crispy, and I don't like crispy cookies. 

This is my great-grandmother's recipe and oil is the thing that makes these oatmeal cookies perfect.

These are the most moist, chewy cookies in the world.  As long as you don't overbake it. 

I find myself saying that a lot.

The part about don't overbake it, that is.

Overcooked food is a pet peeve of mine.

I didn't realize it until I started this blog.

But now I know.

And so do you.

So let's move on.

First, please do not judge these cookies by the poor quality of my photos.  I did not do them justice but you see, it really wasn't my fault.  The lighting was bad.  And I'm the photographer.

I could make these in my sleep.  Let's not stop to analyze what that means about me.

You don't even need to use a mixer for these cookies.  I do use a mixer because it's a little easier.  But not necessary.

So put the oil and a cup each of brown sugar and granulated sugar into a bowl and mix it up:

Now add the eggs and the vanilla. 

The batter is very moist.

Now for the dry ingredients.

Flour, quick-cook oats (not instant and not old-fashioned), salt and baking soda.  Use kosher salt here.  I actually use kosher salt for everything, and this recipe is no exception.  Kosher salt has a softer flavor than traditional iodized salt.  And no, you won't get a goiter because you're not eating iodized salt.

It's now a stiff dough.  Taste it.

It's like the best cookie dough in the world.

If I make these without saving some dough for my husband, he becomes bitter toward me.

He's going to be mad at me for saying that.  But the point is that I always save him some dough.

Now, you can scoop these onto a baking sheet and make them just like this.  This is my dad's preference.  I make these for him every year for his birthday and he likes them just like this.  Plain-Jane.    Uncontaminated by raisins.  Unadulterated by chocolate.  Perfectly delicious.

It's hard to beat the original.

But you can add chocolate chips or raisins, two cups of either is a good amount.

I made some plain and some with chocolate chips, my preference.

My husband and my mom prefer raisins.

 See how moist it is inside?

And here's the one with chocolate chips:



Yeah.

You'll want to give these a try soon.

Grandmama's Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

3 cups quick-cook oats (do not use intsant or old-fashioned oats)

optional: 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips or 2 cups of raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips or raisins, if using.

Mix until just combined.

Drop on a baking sheet.  Use a medium-sized scoop (it will measure exactly 2 tablespoons) if you have one.  If not, just scoop these into two-tablespoon mounds and bake for 8 minutes.  It's the perfect size and the the perfect amount of time.