Oatmeal Cookies

It's almost Christmas and that means lots of cookies and stollen. Oatmeal cookies are a good "cookie filler" - they are easy to make and make lots - so you don't have to make multiple batches of more difficult, intricate cookies and it still looks as if you've done more work than you actually did ... well, they taste good too! This recipe was lifted from the lid of a Quaker Oats box, with modifications - I like it because it actually has lots of oats - some oatmeal cookies really have very little oats in them ( I suppose this was a marketing ploy by Quaker, but they are really the best I've had as well).

1 cup(2 sticks) butter - softened - have used half lard/half butter - nice texture!

1.5 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

0.5 teaspoons salt

3 cups oatmeal

2.5 cup raisins - or a 1.5 cup mix of raisins, dried apricots, 1 cup nuts and chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F

Beat sugar and butter together

Add eggs, beat well

Add flour, cinnamon and salt, mix

Add oats and raisins and what ever else you like; mix well

Drop by rounded tablespoons on greased cookie sheet

As with most cookies, put in freezer for a bit before baking

Bake 10 - 12 minutes until golden brown - don't overcook!

Let rest 1 minute and then remove from cookie sheet to cool