Crunchy Oatmeal Cookies

I made some oatmeal cookies yesterday that were a big hit at Andy's Uncle's gathering.  They are really easy to throw together, you can make them without a mixer and they make several dozen crunchy cookies with a nicely caramelized bottom.  It's easy to mix in favorites like chocolate chips or nuts and I eliminated the dairy from one batch entirely so they could be enjoyed by his uncle and cousin who are lactose intolerant.  You can simply replace the milk with water and use carob chips, craisins, nuts or raisins in place of chocolate.   This recipe was found on the back of the can of Great Value oatmeal from Wal-Mart and it turned out way better than I expected it to.  It would be easy to make even if you had guests in the house, and kids could help with the prep.  Each batch makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
(Cream these together adding sugars slowly)

2 eggs slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons milk (or water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
(Add these next stirring well)

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
(Add to mixture to form a wet batter)

4 cups oats regular, not instant or quick
(Stir into mixture and quickly add any mix ins)

Mix ins - add a total of 1 1/2 to 2 cups of any combination of these
Chocolate chips
Candy pieces (M&M's or Reeses)
Chopped Nuts
Raisins
Craisins
Caramel bits
Carob chips
Any other desired treat

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets.  Bake at 375 for 13 - 15 minutes until golden (I used craisins and pecan chips in one batch and chocolate chips in the other, the craisin batch was the best in our opinion.  You may want to add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon if you're making a craisin or raisin variety.)

Hope you enjoy them!  Happy "Black Friday" to all of you.  If you were a shopper I hope you got some great deals.  If you enjoyed your day at home working on putting up the tree I hope you had a good productive day like mine.  If you worked a retail job I hope you're home recovering and you can convince someone you love to make these cookies for you.  You deserve it!