Oatmeal cookies

I'm making my second batch of oatmeal cookies this week, and since the French friends who tasted them wanted the recipe, I thought I'd share it here (easier than translating the quantities).

This is from my beloved "From Amish and Mennonite Kitchens" cookbook. It's full of hearty, tasty, old world recipes (where else are you going to find Mother's Tomato Rice Meat Pie?).

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup brown sugar makes 5 dozen
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cut shortening (I use unsalted butter in France and it works)
1 egg
1/4 water
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3 cups oats (old fashioned or quick cooking)

1. Cream sugars and shortening. Add egg, water, and vanilla and beat until creamy.
2. Sift together flour, soda, and salt and add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in oats.
3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° (177°C) for 10-15 minutes.

I like to mix in chocolate chips, but you can leave the cookies plain, or add nuts, coconut, raisins, etc. I don't put in a full 3 cups of oats, more 2 3/4, because too may oats and a minute or two too long in the oven make the cookies hard like bricks. I prefer having the insides still a little soft, so I take them out when the edges are just turning golden.

WARNING: I find these cookies highly addictive and have a hard time closing the cookie jar.