Strawberry Shortcake Murder

OATMEAL RAISIN CRISPS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position

1 cup melted butter (2 sticks, 1/2 pound)

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 large eggs, beaten (just whip them up with a fork)

2 1/2 cups flour (no need to sift)

1 cup raisins (either regular or golden, you choose)

2 cups GROUND dry oatmeal (measure before grinding)

Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add the sugar and mix. Then mix in the vanilla, salt, and the baking soda.

When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in the eggs. Add the flour and stir it all up. Then mix in the raisins.

Prepare your oatmeal (Use Quakers if you have it—the cardboard canister is useful for all sorts of things.) Measure out 2 cups and dump it in the food processor, chopping it with the steel blade until it’s the consistency of coarse sand. Dump it in your dough and mix it all up. (This dough will be fairly stiff.)

Roll walnut-sized dough balls with your hands and place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. (If it’s too sticky to roll, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and try again.) Squish the dough balls down with a fork in a crisscross pattern (like peanut butter cookies).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Andrea likes these and she’s never liked raisins—go figure.