Best Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

I've tried many oatmeal cookie recipes in my lifetime. I've come across a few that I like, but a whole lot that in my opinion were awful. I was always looking for one that was chewy and had a texture similar to the Little Debbie brand oatmeal pie.

Well, I finally found a recipe that I love and it has been my go to recipe ever since, I've altered it several times in different ways according to the ingredients I have on hand, and it has proved to be very versatile.

I'm going to give you the current form of the recipe adaptions I used in this batch and then I'll give you the original recipe. Try them both and let me know what you think. Unless you are making cookies for a rather large crowd, or you have an immense sweet tooth, you might want to half these recipes because they make around 8-9 dozen cookies.

I'm not exactly sure where I found this recipe. I thought it was from an Amish cookbook I have, but when I checked to make sure I found it was not there. The card in my file simply says Amish Oatmeal Cookies. If you happen to know the source leave me a comment and I will gladly give credit where credit is due.

Amish Oatmeal Cookies (Mindy's version)

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit

(dates, raisins, and cransins)

1 cup walnuts

6 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups butter flavored shortening

3 cups sugar

2 cups oatmeal

3 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup ribbon cane syrup

3 eggs

Grind fruit and nuts in a food grinder or processor, set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, spices, in a VERY large bowl

Cut in shortening until fine crumbs form

Add fruit and nuts, sugar, oats, and mix well

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk

Add syrup and eggs

Stir well with a very sturdy spoon (I have broken a wooden spoon before while making this recipe)

Use cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Amish Oatmeal Cookies (original version)

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 cup peanuts

6 cups all-purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 cups shortening

3 cups sugar

2 cups oatmeal

3 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup molasses

3 eggs

Grind fruit and nuts in a food grinder or processor, set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, spices, in a VERY large bowl

Cut in shortening until fine crumbs form

Add fruit and nuts, sugar, oats, and mix well

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk

Add molasses and eggs

Stir well with a very sturdy spoon (I have broken a wooden spoon before while making this recipe)

Use cookie scoop or tablespoon to drop onto parchment lined cookie sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Vintage Reads

One of my favorite things in the world is vintage children's books. I love the sweet stories, and nostalgic illustrations that sort of take me
back in my mind to a simpler time.

I was blessed

with a wonderful childhood and so many special memories associated with my younger days. I have the most wonderful parents in the world, and I am so thankful for them! I am also thankful that I grew up in a time when children were allowed to be children.

I guess vintage books help me revisit those days, but whatever the reason I can hardly pass up a pretty little child's book from yesteryear. I started collecting them when my children were little, and continued when they

were well pass the days of being interested in them. My husband teased me for buying them, he just couldn't quite get my fascination with them. I'm glad I kept it up now, with all of my grandchildren they certainly come in handy!

I picked up some a couple of weeks ago when on a thrifting jaunt and thought I'd share them with you.

Here are a few of them. I'll share more of them another day. Aren't these sweet? I haven't had a chance to sit down and read them yet, but I can hardly wait for a free minute to do so.

Do you have a favorite book from childhood? I'd love for you to share it in the comments! I loved the little red or orange biographies of great Americans, The Little House series, Little Women, books of poetry, and children's cookbooks, but my favorite books were the things to make and do type of books. Even as a kid I was a crafter at heart!

Pictures in String

Okay, it's January 10th and I still have unfinished Christmas presents. Sad, I know, but some things don't get done on time at my house, (a lot of things, actually.)

Anyway, the grandkids all like to help wash dishes. You know how it is water, a chair, soapy bubbles, what's not to love, if you are a kid that is? So I decided I'd take some of their precious gifts of art and embroider them each their own little dishtowel, at least the oldest ones who can draw. It shows them how special I think their art is, and how special it is to me that they want to help. So I started the project in plenty of time, but lacked one picture. I finally rounded up the little artist and persuaded her to part with a sheet from her portfolio, but I still haven't finished that particular towel. However, I thought I'd share what I've got so far. Aren't they darling, just like them, each one so individual and full of personality.

Don't you all want a set of these lovelies? I may just have to go back and do some for myself!

I'm linking up with Ruby Jean for Sew Crafty Tuesday

Jamming it Up

Honestly, I don't know if marmalade is classified as a jam or not. I told you before I've never particularly cared for marmalade as a topping for toast, biscuits, or scones, that is not until now.

Kumquat marmalade is better than any marmalade I've ever tasted. Now to be fair, since it hasn't been on my favored list I haven't tasted a lot of marmalade, but what I have tasted makes a nice compliment to poultry or ham in some sort of glaze or Jezebel sauce, but I find it just a bit too bitter to sweeten bread.

This is not so when it comes to kumquat marmalade, at least in my book. Maybe because I actually like the tangy bite in a kumquat and am used to ingesting them peel and all, as they are meant to be eaten. Whatever the reason I now have a new favorite topping for breakfast breads and surprisingly it's a marmalade.

This takes a bit longer than the satsuma marmalade I made earlier, unless you are fortunate enough to have seedless kumquats, but it is well worth the extra effort.

So if you have a lovely citrus tree in your yard with beautiful little tart fruit, with a quirky name and a bit of a bite, and you have up until now thought of it mainly as ornamental, you might want to think again and give this recipe a try. I found it online, as usual, at A Cooking Life. The author gives wonderful step by step instructions, with beautiful pictures, so I won't try to recreate all of that here. Give it a try and come back and let me know what you think.

Linking up with Shay at Quilting in My Pyjamas for

My Husband the Problem Solver

One of my husband's many talents is problem solving. He is really pretty good at it, but I have to confess sometimes it annoys me. He almost enjoys finding problems in order to solve them.

Now one of my flaws is that I sometimes like to ignore problems. I hate confrontation, and I prefer to think happy thoughts rather than work through problems.

Lately, though the problem solving has really come in handy. After cooking a ham for a family celebration my Mr. wanted to add a glaze, but he wanted it browned to perfection. The ham was rather large and the perfectionist wanted a perfectly even, shiny finish. He had been thinking on it the whole time the ham was baking. "I've got it!" he said suddenly and jumped out of his chair and headed to the truck. In just minutes he was back with a torch in his hand. I wasn't sure how this was all going to end, but I must say the results were very becoming. I accused him of going all Food Network on me. He grinned showing he enjoyed the accusation. I have to admit, not only is he good at problem solving, He's also a really good cook!!

Thrifting Date

After spending a lot of time hunting, including part of the holidays, my husband decided to take me on the date of my choice. We started out junking, and ended the day Friday by going toBellingraph Gardens to their Magic Christmas in Lights. We both really enjoyed the day, and he actually suggested we go junking again on Saturday. Of course, I couldn't turn down a chance like that. I came home with vintage patterns...................

some cast iron Amish figures..........

a sweet dollar teapot, vintage children's books, (which I'll share later) some glassware, other sewing stuff, and a huge cast iron Dutch oven, all at a flea market.

We went to this thrift store that was like none other I've ever been to. All of their merchandise was in crates with flip tops, out on tables. After everyone looked through the crates they asked everyone to move to the front of the store. They took down all of those crates and brought in new ones, then they turned everyone loose to go through the boxes they just brought out. There was a sign on the wall with prices. I found a box of old Christmas ornaments, and I paid .79 a pound for them. Aren't they cute?

Fun times!

Looking Back

Here are a few pictures that didn't make the blog last year, or actually some might have. I'm too lazy to scroll all the way back to see.