Meredith's Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
144
servings
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups shredded coconut
- 1 lb Crisco
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups Quaker oats
- 4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp soda
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, Crisco, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Sift together the flour, soda, salt, and baking powder and stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the coconut and oatmeal until combined. Batter will be very thick and hard to stir.
- Drop from tablespoon 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Cool slightly and remove from pan.
Common Problems and Solutions
Q: Why is my cookie dough so hard to stir?
A: This is normal! The recipe makes a very thick, stiff dough because of the large amount of oats and coconut. Use a sturdy wooden spoon or mix the final additions by hand. The thick dough helps the cookies hold their shape during baking.
Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?
A: Yes! You can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking. Cold dough may need an extra minute of baking time.
Tips and Techniques
Don’t overbake these cookies—they should look slightly underdone in the center when you remove them from the oven, as they’ll continue to firm up while cooling. For uniform cookies, use a cookie scoop instead of a tablespoon. These cookies freeze beautifully, so make the full batch and freeze half for later.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Crisco: butter or margarine
- shredded coconut: additional oats or chopped nuts
- Quaker oats: any old-fashioned rolled oats
Equipment Needed
- large mixing bowl
- electric mixer or sturdy wooden spoon
- sifter or fine-mesh strainer
- cookie sheets
- tablespoon or cookie scoop
- cooling rack
