Crispy Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe came from one of my favorite all-time cookie resources - the December 1999 issue of Good Housekeeping.  It is one of those that has a large majority of the magazine done in cookbook format and is packed full of reliable cookie recipes (and some great meals and holiday food gifts too!).  Several of its pages are well-loved with little bits of dried cookie dough stuck to them - its very easy to find the recipes I use the most.  As much as I love this magazine, there are several recipes I still haven't tried.  So this year I spotted this one and decided to give it a shot.  

As usual, I couldn't just make it exactly the way the recipe was written so I'm posting for you the original and my version so you can try what you like (or have on hand!).  These keep really well and travel really well too.  They don't break apart all over the place like some crispy cookies and they are crispy but not dry.  They also were quick to whip up for a late-night treat.


My Recipe:
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup shortening)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
2 cups rice cereal
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put everything except the rice cereal and chocolate chips into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until well combined.  Add the rice cereal and chocolate chips and mix well with a large spoon.  Butter a cookie sheet.  Drop heaping tablespoons full onto a baking sheet.  Use the bottom of a drinking glass to flatten them into round disks about 1/4 inch thick.  Bake 8-12 minutes until edges are golden.  Allow to cool slightly then remove to a cooling rack.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Original Recipe:


1 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening 
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs 
2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat oats, coconut, flour, brown sugar, shortening, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and eggs until well blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.  With spoon, stir in cereal.  Grease 2 large cookie sheets.  Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, about 2 inches apart, onto cookie sheets.  With hand, pat cookies into 2-inch rounds.  Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until golden, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower racks halfway through baking time.  Allow cookies to cool slightly on cookie sheets.  With pancake turner, remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.