The generous butter content in these oatmeal cookies insures a satisfying crunch and the added nuts and chocolate chips bring delicious flavors to every bite.
In the 1980’s I bought my first house with my father’s help. Money was very tight and I set myself a weekly spending limit of $20. This was the money I had left after I paid the utilities, the mortgage and set aside cash to repay my father’s loan. So when I began reading this month’s Cook the Books selection, “The Feast Nearby”, I was eager to read how author Robin Mather got by on $40 per week in 2011.
It turned out that she had the advantage of a living in a rural community, with friendly neighbors and the ability to grow or obtain tons of local produce. In contrast, in my urban neighborhood I couldn’t rely on anyone who lived nearby, was prohibited from raising chickens and just didn’t have the skills to attempt Robin’s other survival strategies.
Despite my $20 per week budget, I tried to live well. I grew my grandfather’s heirloom peppers and raised all kinds of tomatoes along the narrow pathway next to my backyard sidewalk. The neighborhood Italian deli usually offered something inexpensive and filling. Dishes made with these ingredients carried me through summer, and while I didn’t can or preserve, frozen produce from the garden insured I ate well throughout the winter.
In the book, Robin described the circumstances that led to this situation. She was downsized from her newspaper food critic job and had to give up her magnificent expense account and global culinary travels. I could emphasize with her loss. Although not downsized, I recently gave up a job where travel took me around the world. I miss my far-flung friends and the convivial dinners over steaming plates of local specialties where we shared family stories late into the night. But as time has gone by I’ve made new friends and started a new life chapter.
The Feast Nearby is filled with kitchen wisdom and seasonal recipes. For this Cook the Books roundup, I baked my mother’s simple, homey cookies. The recipe is similar to the one in the book for oatmeal, maple syrup drop cookies. It never fails to please.
Oatmeal Crispie Cookies with Pecans
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup each brown sugar and granulated sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cup flour, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp baking powder, sifted together
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
½ small package of chocolate chips
Preparation:
For this recipe, cookie dough is prepared in advance. For the dough, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour mix. Add oatmeal, nuts and chips. Batter will become quite stiff and may require stirring rather than beating. Shape into two long rolls wrapped in wax paper. Chill for a few hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into thin slices and place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool and place in an airtight container till ready to eat.
This is my contribution to the April/May Cook The Books pick; The Feast Nearby: How I Lost my Job, Buried a Marriage, and Found My Way by Keeping Chickens, Foraging, Preserving, Bartering, and Eating Locally (All on Forty Dollars a Week) by Robin Mather, hosted by the wonderful Deborah of Eliot's Eats.
