Oatmeal Macaroons

These are, quite possibly, the best oatmeal cookies ever. I've been making them since college and they're the greatest because, for one, the recipe makes like 3 dozen cookies. Two, they're the perfect texture - crispy on the edges and chewy through the middle. And three, they're friggin' delicious! Make them, trust me.

Oatmeal Macaroons

Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

1 1/4 cup vegetable shortening

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup chocolate chips (you can switch this out for any combination of chopped nuts, dried fruits, or other kinds of chips, and feel free to combine mix-ins up to 1 cup's worth)

*For a vegan version, be sure to use vegan chocolate chips, and replace the eggs with 1/4 cup shortening and 1/4 cup applesauce.

1. With a rubber spatula, beat together the shortening and sugars until well combined and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs one at a time and the vanilla extract.

3. Beat in all the dry ingredients except the oats and chocolate chips.

4. When you add the oats and chips or other mix-ins, it's quite a work out to stir the batter, but keep combining until everything is thoroughly mixed.

5. Scoop with a cookie scoop or use a big spoon and roll the dough into balls and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 12 minutes, one sheet at a time, in the upper half of the oven. They should be a deep golden brown on the edges and slightly puffy in the middle. 

7. Let them cool for a while on the sheet before transferring to a cooling rack or else they will fall apart! Enjoy them with an nice big glass of cold milk. ^_^