Oatmeal Slice And Bake Cookies

Another Christmas has been celebrated! The joy of family and friends is unmatched with any other time of the year! I love baking cookies and am part of an annual cookie party. My friend Georgia Jarvis plans, decorates and makes the party a favorite event every year! We each bake, package and decorate each cookie gift trying each year to come up with something new and special to exchange at the party. The recipe is attached to each cookie gift. My recipe this year is an old recipe that I updated for today’s lifestyle. I replaced ½ cup butter with 1 Tablespoon canola oil, an egg was removed and I replaced some of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour. Enjoy the final recipe I am sharing today! Parchment paper allows for easy clean up and avoids the need to grease the pan before baking. I leave the cookies on the paper when I slide them off the baking sheet to racks to cool.


OATMEAL SLICE AND BAKE COOKIES
Makes 18 Cookies

½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 Tbsp. canola oil
½ cup sugar
½ cup golden brown sugar, packed
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats, uncooked
½ cup walnuts, crushed
½ cup coconut, shredded

Beat butter, oil and sugars in a 2-qt. mixing bowl till smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla till fluffy. Whisk together flours, powder, soda and salt. Beat in with dough hooks. Fold in oats, walnuts and coconut with a spatula. Flour hands and shape dough into an 8-inch log on a 12-inch piece of waxed paper. Roll in the waxed paper and twist ends like a hard-candy wrapper. Chill several hours or overnight. Slice cookies with a thin, serrated knife, 3/8-inch thick, with a sawing motion, turning cookie dough after each slice to retain the round shape. Bake cookies, 2-inches apart on 2 parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 14 minutes or till lightly browned. Cool one minute before transferring to cooling racks.