I, <insert name>, pledge to always protect The Manly Chest from those who would defile this thread. Furthermore, I pledge to support "Dancing With The Stars" so long as ABC returns The Manly Chest to us as a sign of its gratitude for the ratings we have contributed to its network. This we shall do as Protectors of The Manly Chest. May we do more, but no less!
Ingredients:
1 Cup raisins boiled in water for 10 minutes
2 cups oatmeal (got to be real oats, not the quick stuff - Helen has used Quaker oats before)
1 Cup shortening (Helen uses Crisco because regular butter makes them spread too much)
1 Cup grandulated sugar
2 whole eggs
2 Cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
8 teaspoons liquid from boiled raisins
1. Cream the shortening and sugar together. Then, add the eggs and mix.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and cinnamon.
3. Drain raisins saving 8 tsp. of juice to which you'll add the baking soda. (Let the juice cool a little so that you don't boil the soda. It can be warm, just not hot.)
4. To the creamed mixture, add the dry flour mixture, alternating with the raisin juice and soda. (Helen does it in thirds, mixing between each addition. it's kind of like a cha-cha: add-flour, mix-mix-mix, add juice, mix-mix-mix, and repeat.)
(She does this in a CuisinArt but turns the creamed batter into a bowl before adding the oatmeal and raisins, then finishes the rest by hand so as not to chop up oatmeals and raisins.)
5. Add the oatmeal and raisins and combine thoroughly. The oatmeal will most likely disappear into the batter.
6. Drop by teaspoonful onto a baking sheet. Makes about 36 cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
A note from HelenSophia, the generous donor of her family recipe- dating back to the Civil War: "These will not spread very much. They should mound up and look all rubbly. Rather like something you'd expect Wilma Flintstone to bake. An elderly uncle once said that they should be "...interesting and firm on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. Like a good woman..." That about says it all. Feel free to ask if anything unclear and...enjoy!"
If you manage to reappear next to The Manly Chest, prepare for the rest of us to follow...grateful to you for keeping The Manly Chest warm...
