Recipe

I was typing in this recipe anyway for a friend with a child with a wheat allergy, so I figured I'd share it here too.

Okay, first I'll type in the recipe as it appears in the Betty Crocker cookbook, then I'll tell you all of the changes my mom makes. ;)

Oatmeal Cookies

1/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts
3 cups quick-cooking oats

Heat oven to 350F. Mix thoroughly shortening, sugars, egg, water and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart onto greased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched with finger. Immediately remove from baking sheet. Store in tightly covered container.

About 5 dozen cookies.

Variation: Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Omit water, increase soda to 1 teaspoon and stir 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 medium) into shortening mixture.

Changes:
- substitute baking margarine for shortening. She uses Imperial Margarine.
- substitute 1 cup oat flour for the 1 cup wheat flour
- leave out the raisins and nuts
- add chocolate chips
- bake on parchment paper instead of greasing cookie sheets... then cut up the parchment paper to keep the cookies separate when storing. (I forgot this, added later.)

The banana version is the *best*!!! But the regular non-banana version is fine too. Oh, and the mashed bananas doesn't need to be exactly 1 cup... just mash 2-3 overripe bananas.

Tip: If you have overripe bananas and no time to cook, toss them in the freezer and use later. I prefer to peel mine first and freeze in the correct amount the recipe calls for (freezing partially mashes them for you), but you can also freeze them with the peels on and just sort of squish them out of the peel. This second method has the advantage of not needing any extra packaging. ;) (I just find it a bit gross!)