Oatmeal Scotchies

Ever notice how certain aromas or flavors can whisk you back to a favorite time and memory? The smell of cookies baking is one that puts me back in my grandmother's tiny two room house. Her table and daybed that doubled as a couch took up almost the entire space in her kitchen/seating area. She was like that, always thinking of the comfort of others.

Gram didn't make these cookies, but if she knew about them, she would have. Even hours after baking, the sweet fragrance of butterscotch lingers in the air. And coming in from outdoors, the fragrance says, "Welcome home!" This recipe is in my Best Recipes From the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars by Ceil Dyer. There is recipe on the back of the Nestles Butterscotch Morsels bag, which I presume is an updated version of this. It's this version I love, however.It's been around since the 1950's, and there's good reason why this version is still well loved. It's sweet, rich, butterscotchy good!


Oatmeal Scotchies

2 cups unsifted flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened (two sticks)
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water

1 1/2 cups quick oats, uncooked
one 12-ounce package (2 cups) butterscotch morsels **
1/2 teaspoon orange extract

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit. Grease cookie sheet, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate large bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, eggs and water. Beat until creamy (about five minutes). Gradually add the flour. (The mixture will be heavy and stiff.) With a wooden spoon or mixing spatula stir in oats and butterscotch morsels and the orange extract.

Drop slightly rounded tablespoonfuls (about the size of a walnut) onto the cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe says it makes 4 dozen. I had three dozen plus 4. Guess my tablespoon is a little larger than theirs!

**Recipe calls for a 12 ounce bag, but the bag I had was only 11 ounces. It worked out just fine; we did not miss the other ounce.