Oatmeal - Coconut Refrigerator Cookies

Once upon a time, you couldn’t go to the grocery store and buy slice-and-bake cookie dough or pre-shaped frozen cookie dough, ready to be baked.  Industrious individuals such as my mother, aunt, and grandmothers made their own slice-and-bake dough from scratch and stored it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.  My mother made ice-box cookies for Vacation Bible School and elementary school parties and special occasions and for no occasion at all, except that everyone liked cookies.  My paternal grandmother always had ice-box cookies on hand at her house.  Before we knew about Salmonella and recognized that eating raw eggs was a bad idea, she always kept a bit of leftover dough for the grandkids to eat raw, straight from the refrigerator.  I have a pretty good stash of refrigerator cookie recipes from my mother, both grandmothers, and aunt.  This recipe, in my maternal grandmother’s handwriting, is attributed to my Aunt Mildred.  I tweaked a couple of things (cooking temperature, addition of mixing instructions, addition of cinnamon); the cookies are crispy and delicious!

My grandmother's handwritten recipe - a real treasure!

 

Oatmeal – Coconut Refrigerator Cookies

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

3 cups oatmeal

1-1/2 cups coconut

½ cup pecans

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and mix again until light and fluffy.  Stir in flour until well blended, then add oatmeal, coconut, and pecans.  Divide dough into three equal pieces and shape into rolls, about 1-1/4 inches in diameter.  Wrap each roll in waxed papeer and refrigerate or freeze for later use.  If the dough is to be frozen, overwrap the waxed paper with foil. 

To bake, preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease baking sheets with shortening or spray with non-stick spray.  Using a very sharp knife, slice dough into 3/8 inch thick slices and place on baking sheets.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until done. 

Personal experience with my oven and my baking sheets showed that 14 minutes baking time was needed with dark pans and 13 minutes baking time was needed with shiny pans. 

Cooked and cooling on paper towel.