Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

After the less-than-perfect, "A catastrophe!" corrects Raul, texture of the banana bread, Raul, while vowing to solve and correct the problem, retreats to a recipe he has already conquered. Drew's Mom is famous for, among many baking miracles, her oatmeal cookies. Raul was fascinated from the first bite, "Economical, healthy and tasty. Perfect." Drew's Mom sends the recipe via email and Raul works to perfect it (something he should remember before flagellating himself too severely about the banana bread). He discovers the importance of brown sugar (as the recipe calls for) rather than golden or white, whole wheat flour (as the recipe calls for) rather than all-purpose and, his own addition, the use of bargain priced but high quality Chefmaster Margarine (a trick he learned from a chance conversation at No Frills with a woman who claimed Chefmaster was the closest to ghee so ideal for cooking and high temperatures). At one point a tortilla press is pressed into service to create the perfect thickness and at another a giant wooden rolling pin is acquired from the thrift store to roll out the dough.

Raul also deviates from the original recipe by adding in chopped granola (courtesy of Drew's Mom who makes it from scratch) to add a nutty flavour, more fibre and nutrients. For this particular batch Drew casually inquires whether there are any dark chocolate chips left from the disasterous (but still being happily eaten) banana bread. There are and Raul stirs them in and then lives in terror while the cookies bake, "What if the chocolate is the culprit in the banana bread catastrophe?"

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

1 c butter or margarine

1 1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

2 c whole wheat flour

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

4-5 c old fashioned oatmeal (large flake)

or 3 c regular oatmeal

Combine in your amazing Kitchen Aid mixer :)
Roll out, cut in circles, bake at 350'F for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!!!

The cookies turn out perfectly: crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The dark chocolate is a delicious enhancement but alas renders the cookies poison to the dog. "Another catastrophe!" complains Raul.

"Perfect," purrs Drew as he blithely munches in front of the miffed mutt. "More for me. I mean . . . How tragic! I'll give him some crumbs that are not contaminated with chocolate."