I have been hungry for cookies lately. Today I broke down and made some. They were from an old cookbook I found somewhere or other. What a disappointment, I have many tried and true recipes that turn out just fine every time. Why, oh why, do I continue looking for new ones. Anne reminds me of that fact every time I have a cooking disaster.

Reading through the recipe, I should have known. The proportions of liquid, flour and butter were all wrong. I was led astray by the title. “Delicious” is a misleading word. Not everything is delicious that says so. It does seem that I will never learn. Again, ask my daughter Anne.

The recipe called for 1/2 cup of butter. The one cup of brown sugar and 1 cup of white sugar seemed all right. I should have surmised that 1 cup evaporated milk and 2 eggs was too much liquid for only 2 3/4 cups flour. Yes, that title threw me for a loop.

I made a test cookie on a pie plate. The recipe said to bake until browned, no time given. To figure that out, I started by setting the oven for 6 minutes. I could increase the time one minute at a time. The oven temperature didn't seem hot enough either. I was right. That pitiful cookie spread out on the pie plate, flat as a pancake. 300 F. was to low. I turned the heat up to 350 F., adding another half cup flour to the batter and 3 more minutes to the timing. Those cookies didn't spread out as much but the flavor was blah!

I divided up the batter and added lemon extract to one half and cinnamon and nutmeg to the other half to try to salvage the cookies. That helped a little. But by then, I was over it. I asked the cats outside our door if they wanted a cookie. Anne said, “No, you don't. That will give them diabetes from the sugar.” Ok then, I will throw out these “delicious” cookies after dark. The raccoons and possums can fight over them. The cats will be out roaming in the dark checking out the neighborhood.

Here is a cookie that turns out fine every time. The title doesn't say “Delicious.” It's just a good Banana Oatmeal Cookie.

BANANA-OATMEAL COOKIES
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups old fashioned oatmeal

Combine flour, spices, salt, baking powder and baking soda in large mixing bowl. Whisk until well mixed. Add sugar, shortening, bananas and eggs. Stir to blend. Beat on low with hand mixer until smooth, 2 or 3 minutes. Add oatmeal by hand with large kitchen spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Drop from teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 F. for 9 to 12 minutes depending on size of cookie.