Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

1 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

¾ cup Crisco Golden All-Vegetable Shortening or ¾ Crisco Golden stick

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 

Heat oven to 375 F.  Grease baking sheets.  Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.

Place brown sugar, shortening, egg, milk and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.

Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.  Add to shortening mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.  Stir in raisins and walnuts.

Drop dough by rounded measuring tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 F for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. 

DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.   

Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Variations

HALF-DIPPED COOKIES – Omit raisins and nuts.  Bake and cool.  Microwave 1 cup prepared chocolate frosting for 20-25 seconds or until smooth and thin.  Dip top half of cookie in frosting.  Lay on waxed paper until set.

FAVORITE CHIP COOKIE – Omit raisins and nuts.  Add 1 cup baking ships to batter.  Bake and cool.

MAPLE WALNUT COOKIE – Omit raisins.  Add 1 ½ teaspoons maple flavoring to dough.  Bake and cool.  Frost top of cooled cookie with mixture of 1 container prepared vanilla frosting and 1 teaspoon maple flavoring.  Garnish with walnut halves.