Grandma’s Oatmeal Cookies

optional: butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, pecans for walnuts

Pour 1 cup boiling water over the raisins and add 1 t baking soda.
Stir well and set aside.

Bring the shortening to room temperature then cream well. Add the
sugar one cup at a time and cream well after each addition. Add the
eggs in the same manner. Sift together the cinnamon, cloves,
allspice, flour and baking powder. Add the vanilla to the creamed
mixture. Drain the raisins and sprinkle one tablespoon of flour over
them and shake to coat. Alternately add the flour mixture, the milk
and the oatmeal. Mix well after each addition. There will a lot of
dough and it should be fairly thick. With a heavy wooden spoon stir
in the walnuts and the raisins and the flavored chips–you can use
any amount of the flavored chips you want.

Grease the cookie sheet. Drop the dough by teaspoonful on the cookie
sheet. I usually get about 20 per sheet–but then I have very, very
old cookie sheets and they are larger than my new ones. Bake at 350
for 10-12 minutes. They will be golden on the bottom and dry on the
top. Remove and place on wax paper until cool. Keep in an airtight
container–Tupperware is great.

Makes about 10 dozen.

Variation – you can save the water from soaking the raisins and cut
down on the milk by the appropriate amount. this adds a very good
flavor to the cookies.