Sugar Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe was sort of a gift for this year from my grandmother, even though she passed away in 2017. I hand-copied several of her cookie recipes when I was in high school, selecting mostly the recipes I was familiar with. I didn’t recognize this one from her annual Christmas cookie lineup, but she told me it was from my great-grandmother, so I wrote it down anyway.

Years it sat unmade. For whatever reason I decided to make it this year, and I am so glad I did. These cookies have quite a bit of sugar in them; it’s in their name! The sugar gives them the ultimate chew. As somebody who tends to prefer my sweets on the less-sweet side, I tried doubling the nuts one batch to see if that might help balance it out a bit. The cookies were still very good, but they ended up a bit more crispy. The original was the clear winner.

There are some choices to be made for this recipe. Butterscotch or chocolate chips? I have mostly used butterscotch, and they make me so happy. Although I have no recollection of my grandma or great-grandma making these cookies, I do associate butterscotch chips with my grandma, so they still feel nostalgic. (The batch in the photos has a butterscotch and chocolate chip combo, and that was also great!) You can also choose your favorite kind of nut. I’ve used pecans in all of my batches, and they’re perfect with the butterscotch. Walnuts or peanuts would be great too.

Sugar Oatmeal Cookies (Makes approximately 4 dozen)

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
• 1 cup brown sugar (light or dark works)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups AP flour
• 3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup butterscotch or chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F, and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Thoroughly cream brown sugar, sugar, and butter.
3. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla.
4. In a separate bowl combine salt, baking soda, flour, and oatmeal. Mix with a whisk or fork.
5. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Mix on slow at first, and then continue to mix on medium-low until combined.
6. Add nuts and chips and mix until evenly distributed.
7. Scoop onto prepared baking sheets, and bake on center rack for 10 minutes until edges are slightly browned. They will look slightly underdone.
8. Allow to cool on sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

For my favorite of my grandma’s cookies, be sure to check out this Date Drop recipe.