Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

By KRed

Marge McManus (and tips from Maureen McManus)
This recipe is originally from my long-time friend, Sheila Douglass Jackson. We started kindergarten together and "chummed" together all the way through high school and college, and of course, kept up our friendship after we parted ways. She now lives in Decatur, Illinois. She probably shared this recipe when we were in Ashland High School together. Maureen loves to take this one to any family gathering. I feel very remiss when Ed comes home and there are no chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar.

From Maureen: Everyone always says I make the best cookies, which I know now to be a hoax. They just want me to bake for them. My tips follow at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white Crisco Shortening (Laurie uses butter) (4 sticks)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (1 1/2 c. - 11oz.)
• 3/4 cup white sugar (1 1/2 c. - 11.7 oz.)
• 2 eggs (4)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (2 tsp.)
• 1 teaspoon hot water (2 tsp.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (1 tsp.)
• 1 1/2 cups flour (3 1/4 c., 17.1 oz)
• 1 teaspoon salt (2 tsp.)
• 2 cups oatmeal uncooked (4 1/4 c., 14 oz)
• 1 6-oz pkg chocolate chips (2 c.)

Preparation

Step 1

Cream together shortening, sugars, and eggs. Dissolve soda in hot water and add to mixture. Slowly add remaining ingredients, mixing as you go. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Maureen's tips:
1. Always double the vanilla.
2. Put half the chocolate chips in the mix, then smash a cluster on the top of each dough plot before putting the pan in the oven.
3. Use half butter and half shortening if you want the cookies thin and chewy.
4. Take the cookies out of the oven before they look the way you want them to look because they do bake a bit more on the pan.
5. Always mix the dough and allow enough time to keep dough refrigerated before making the cookies.