Oatmeal cookies

These are a classic, a perennial favorite. My children have come to expect them on Wednesday afternoons, when I don’t teach and can whip up a batch in just a few minutes. I make them for class parties and picnics. I started this recipe by working from one in the Good Housekeeping Cookbook called"Grandmother's Oatmeal Prune Cookies" and have seriously detoured from there. Not only was I slightly dissatisfied with that version, but I never had prunes on hand (who does?). The resemblance to those is only slight, but I must credit the inital inspiration.

Here’s the recipe as I make it:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (absolutely not quick oats)
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup brown sugar (packed)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt (and a pinch more)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/3 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (the real stuff—no imitations)
1 T molasses
2 T of apple juice or applesauce or prune juice (no sugar added) 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Combine all dry ingredients well in a large bowl. Combine all wet ingredients except juice in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry until thoroughly combined, but don’t overmix. Add apple juice if dough seems too dry. Add optional ½ cup raisins (or other dried fruit) or chocolate chips, folding in gently. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 9 minutes, or until medium brown. Watch carefully! Let set for a minute or two on the baking sheet before removing to a rack to cool completely—if you can wait that long to eat! Very perfect with a cold glass of milk. Makes about 2 dozen.

These cookies can be made gluten free by replacing the whole wheat flour with rice flour, but the brown sugar must be reduced by about ¼ cup.
Alternatively, you can try oat flour. I make this by grinding up oats in coffee or spice grinder. Increase the flour by about a quarter of a cup---the oats are more delicate than wheat flour, and the dough will be much wetter. You will most likely NOT need to add juice to these. Add the extra oat flour a bit at a time until the dough is manageable. These cookies will spread out quite a bit more, but are delicious.