Oatmeal Cookies--Grandma Style

I decided to cook with my grandmother today. This is her mother's version of an old-time classic.

1 cup margarine

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

vanilla

chopped dates (optional)

butterscotch chips (optional)

The margarine is simply an option for some sort of fat. My grandmother said that we could have used Crisco or oil as well. If using stick fat, either warm or break into chunks. Place in mixer.

Add brown sugar. Brown sugar must be packed into the measuring cup. My grandmother and I make an awesome team: I pour the sugar, and she packs it down with a spoon. Cream brown sugar and margarine together.

Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well. According to my grandmother, this means at a speed of 4-6 for about 3-5 minutes.

I thought it was well-beaten here:

But my grandmother made me wait until the mixture looked like this (there is a big difference):

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Then add to the moist mixture. This is necessary to ensure even mixing of baking soda and salt. Stir well....aka: build LOTS of muscle in your arm! Add vanilla, dates, and butterscotch chips. Build more muscle. The original recipe also calls for 1/4 cup of milk to be added here, but my grandmother does not add that.

Place on a greased (with margarine papers) baking sheets. Bake at 375-degrees for 10 minutes. The high temperature and short time creates a cookie that is crunchy on the outside yet soft on the inside.

So how were they?

I have a horrible confession to make: I did not try them. I am sorry! I was too scared. And I am having a poor body-image day. My nutritionist might call this anorexic behavior--all well.

The socks of the day: feminine John Deere--in memory of my farming roots.