Rainy Day Grandma Cookies

I've recently been going through a bunch of my Grandma's old recipes. (there may or may not be a secret project involved there... but shhhh...) One thing we used to always give Grandma a hard time about was how impossible her handwriting was to read, but since she is gone that's one of the things I find I miss most. We always lived in different states so we saw each other only a few times a year, but grandma was great about sending letters and cards regularly... and I miss getting those envelopes with her uneven cursive scratched accross the front, and then giggling trying to decipher the text inside.

Anyway, it makes me happy sorting through and trying to decipher the writing on her recipe cards. So special remembering her and the yummy food she loved to serve her family.One of the things I loved and found so compelling about this one was the little note she scribbled in the corner that says "Good we like them" Well with that review, how could I say no?
Today was a rainy day. The pleasantly gloomy, growling kind. The kind that needs cold milk, warm cookies, and pleasant reminiscing. So I grabbed one of those recipes and got to work.

In classic Valerie form, I selected my recipe and dove right in before doing an ingredient check... only to get halfway through and discover I was going to have to stray from the plan. I only had about half the coconut the recipe called for... so I threw in some chocolate chips to fill the space. But the resulting edited cookie was so yummy I kinda think it was serendipitous.

 I also used half and half butter and shortening, instead of just shortening as the recipe calls for. I love the texture shortening gives, but you can't beat the flavor of butter in a cookie, amIright?

Anyway, these went together pretty fast, and we soon had cookie smell in our house as they were baking up beautifully. And Sam and I got some singing and dancing out of the way while waiting for them to bake.

 These turned out magnificently! Can you see the crispness of the outside and the chewy in the middle? Sigh. Yum. Thank you shortening/butter combo! They are just way tasty too! Grandma's assessment was solid. I never really doubted her judgement though.
Anyway... here's the recipe, in case you can't decipher Grandma's writing (and I won't judge you if you can't!) and in case you want my changes.

Rainy Day Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup flake coconut

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugars, and egg. Sift in flour, salt, and soda. Stir in oats, coconut, and chips.

Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes (until barely golden on top)

Serve warm with a glass of milk. Share cookies and stories about Granny with your munchkin.

*Sam approved. Every last crumb.