Cookies of Childhood

There are a handful of cookie recipes that send me right back to my mom’s kitchen when I was a kid. One is the classic Christmas peppermint candy cane cookies, with the crushed candy canes mixed into the batter.

For some reason, the clearest memory I have of making those twisted guys with my mother is mixed with images of watching old movies on the tiny black & white TV in our kitchen - “Babes in Toyland” with Laurel and Hardy, and “Porgy and Bess” (excellent, excellent, but an odd choice for Christmas programming, perhaps.)

Another cookie recipe that brings me back home immediately is the my mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. This is a nice, sweet, chewy cookie. I have no clue where the recipe came from (like most of the ones I grew up with.) It was really popular with my friends in Moline. Mary and others might remember us bringing a Tupperware container of these to a movie once (good god, it was the Lone Ranger movie - I remember how we all laughed when people left via the exit behind the screen during the credits - it looked like people were walking into this huge boulder on screen, vanishing into solid rock.)

I think it’s the lemon extract that makes this cookie special. I might try it sometime with lemon zest and see how the real deal works. But, I like the sharp citrus bite that comes from the extract. Give these a try. I love them. For a first try, skip the optional nuts. Just savor the oatmeal and chocolate. It’s nice.

Mom Jordan’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C flour
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 T water
3/4 C brown sugar
1 12-oz. bag chocolate chips
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 C shortening
1 t lemon extract
3/4 C sugar
2 C oatmeal
1 C nuts (optional - walnuts work best)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in large bowl.

In another bowl, mix eggs, shortening, vanilla, lemon extract, and water until creamy. Then, add to dry ingredients. When well mixed, add sugar and brown sugar. Blend well.

Then add oatmeal, chocolate chips, and nuts (if desired.)

Place spoon-sized drops on ungreased cookie sheet and cook 8-10 minutes.

Best with a really cold glass of milk. (But that’s just my opinion.)