Crunchy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

I like being in the kitchen.  It’s calming to me.  When I was growing up, baking was almost like a reward that we were able to do once we had completed our Saturday cleaning and chores.  It was always fun and those are wonderful memories for me.

Tonight I wanted to bake cookies.  I needed a calming evening.

I have seen variations of this recipe all over the internet, and in “homemade” cookbooks that I own so I can’t really give anyone credit for the basic recipe. I have tweaked it just a little.  These cookies are pretty delicious  . . . . . you may want to add this to your cookie rotation (you DO have a cookie rotation, right?!).  I love the vanilla/coconut/oatmeal taste and the rice krispies give it a little crunch that’s fun!  (I usually buy the single serving of cereal since we don’t eat much cereal these days).  And it’s not a cookie that you see everyone make so it’s kind of nice to whip up something different.  If you really want to go crazy you can add your favorite nuts (1 cup of pecans, walnuts, etc.) and your favorite chocolate chips (1 cup milk chocolate, minis, semi-sweet, white chocolate – you get the picture).  I don’t think they need the extras but some folks like their cookies SUPREME-style and I can’t really argue with that!

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter (sometimes I use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening for a firmer cookie)

2 eggs

1 cup coconut

2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1  1/2 cups rice krispies

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add oatmeal, flour, baking powder and soda.  Add coconut, salt, vanilla and rice krispies.

Drop by teaspoons on cookie sheets covered with parchment or freezer paper.  Gently flatten cookies with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until lightly brown.  Cool on cookies racks.  Like most cookies, these freeze well.