Brielle's Avalon

I couldn’t find my grandmother’s recipe so I had to wing it this time. I started writing this a couple years ago but never found the recipe card and both winters I bought rolled oats thinking I’d also make oatmeal for breakfast but no, the canisters always got weevil-y before I used them. I did use instant packets for breakfasts last winter so I figured I’d try my luck with those since I’m just going on experience and hope at this point. So here goes, put the kettle on and let’s go. 

1 stick of butter or margarine 

1 c packed brown sugar 

 1 tsp vanilla 

1 egg 

1 tsp baking soda 

dash salt 

1 tsp or so ea cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, allspice, clove more or less to your liking 

1 c + 2 heaping Tbsp flour 

2 pkg/2/3 c maple or plain oatmeal (next time I’ll try 3 pkg/1 c) 

3/4 c raisins 

Soften the stick of butter, cream together with the brown sugar and vanilla. 

Add the egg 

Mix in the baking soda, salt and spices you choose. 

Now for the flour

Stir in the oatmeal and raisins. This is where I realized the oatmeal packets didn’t have cinnamon in them so I added it here. It’ll be stiff but I figure I need to burn the calories before eating the cookies. This is also where, after mixing in the oats and raisins, that I realized the matrix could use a bit more stiffening so I added the 2 heaping Tbs more flour mentioned above. Next time I might add 1 more packet of oats to make it closer to 1c.

Even the batter out in the bowl, divide roughly into 4 parts, then take each part out in turn, gently rolling into a rough log, divide that into 1/2 then that into 3 bits. Take the next one out and do it again.

Now fill the next sheet with the other 2 1/4s left in the bowl. I let some stay in the bowl to use to top off the smaller lumps so they’re all even and of course there has to be enough left in the bowl for whoever isn’t too grown up to lick the bowl and spoon.

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Check when you start smelling the spice. Don’t leave them, they turn fast! This batch didn’t burn but they’re definitely done.

Of course one must take them off the cookie sheet with a cookie thing. I use a vey thin one and threaten woe, death and much pain to anyone who uses it for other things. This is why I have 2 not-so-thin turners in the drawer and, in a pinch, I can use a butter knife to turn a grilled cheese sandwich.

Once you have found and acquired the right and proper cookie utensil that is thin enough to slip under the cookies and not smoosh them into maddening accordions as you try to scrape them off the cookie sheet, then one must put them carefully on the plate and announce to one and all that cookies are ready.

Serve with milk, tea or coffee. 2 is, of course, the proper number of cookies to serve, whether after lunch, school or before bed. These are even good for breakfast. Yes, these look dark but I did use dark brown sugar and let them go a minute or 2 long. Next time I’ll use light brown sugar and take them out when they’re almost done instead of absolutely done but not burnt.

Any leftovers can be put into a cookie jar on the counter or, if (like me) you actually do go through cookies more slowly, you can freeze them to prevent them going stale. Don’t worry, they’ll thaw in your lunchbox before lunchtime. Pay no attention to the puff pastry box, of course it’s for emergencies. You DO know how much time that stuff takes to make, don’t you?

If you so deem proper and fitting you may also, when you mix in the oats and raisins, add nuts, chocolate ships, peanut butter chips, currants, dried chopped other fruit… let your imagination fly with whatever your pantry has at the time.