These are the second in a series of “without the…” cookies. The first were chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate chips, and now we have my Grandma’s famous gumdrop cookies without the gumdrops. I did not make these gluten-free or dairy-free since I had a chunk of butter leftover and was trying to get rid of my organic white flour from Premiere Moisson. These are straight-up, buttery, rich cookies, and if they hadn’t spread unexpectedly in the pan, they would have been perfect.
My mom used to make them about every other week when I was growing up. I’m sure they had something to do with my sweet tooth addiction and expanding waist-line. But I can’t eat gluten anymore or dairy, so these were made for friends who would appreciate them, and who appreciate my Grandmotherly tendency to want to fatten them up.
I had this recipe on the brain because my aunt asked for it and I recited it by heart – it being the only baking recipe I know without a recipe, because I used it so many times in Newfoundland and can still picture the yellow paper it was printed on in a font that looks like it was written on a typewriter, and certainly was created before I was.
Except I got the recipe wrong! I got it all right except the amount of baking soda and powder. So THAT’S why my gluten-free version of the cookies from the past few years were always spreading too much, I thought. They weren’t rising enough. Turns out that was not the problem, alas. The version I made again didn’t rise. The cookies turned pretty crisp – still delicious, but not the soft, chewy oatmeal cookie they should be. I blame the flour. Fortunately, I was probably never use it again, and I’ll never eat it. Still, I don’t want to give anyone, gluten-free or not, sub-par cookies. Especially if it’s my family’s recipe.
It’s not the recipe’s fault, though. I made excellent cookies with it for a long time. It could be the weight and density of the flour or the humidity or elevation of Montreal for all I know. Speaking of what I know, here’s the recipe that I now know properly off by heart. It’s wonderful. Make it for family or other people you care about. Optionally throw in two bags of multi-coloured baking gums (gumdrops), about the size of those bags of nuts for baking you find in the baking aisle of the grocery store. In fact, that’s where you should theoretically find gumdrops, but they’re elusive. My mom would stock up when she spotted them. I always spat them out anyway, so if they go extinct, I won’t cry.
My Grandmother’s Oatmeal Cookies (or Gumdrop Cookies without the Gumdrops)
Cream:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Sift together:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (gluten-free: 1 cup white rice flour, 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 tsp guar gum, 1/2 tsp baking soda)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Add to mixture gradually and and mix well until well blended:
2 cups rolled oats (or gluten-free oats, or buckwheat or quinoa flakes, though the texture will change)
1 cup fruitlets (i.e. gumdrops or baking gums), optional
Drop on greased cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven (350) about 8-12 minutes.
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