Recipe Variations
Try cinnamon raisin: This classic flavor duo will make these cookies taste like old-fashioned oatmeal cookies. Whisk 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients and fold 1/2 cup raisins into the cookie dough.
Add chocolate chips: For a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, fold 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
Include fruit and nuts: Add 1/2 cup each of dried fruit and chopped nuts to your cookies for more flavor and texture. Walnut-cranberry, pistachio-cherry or pecan-coconut are all winning combinations.
Ice the cookies: Once cool, drizzle the cookies with a simple glaze made from confectioners’ sugar and water.
Turn them into ice cream sandwiches: Sandwich a scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream between two poor man’s cookies for a classic dessert.
How to Store Poor Man’s Cookies
To keep cookies fresh, transfer them to an airtight container after they cool completely. The cookies will keep at room temperature for up to one week. Placing a piece of parchment between each layer of cookies helps prevent them from sticking together.
If your cookies turn harder than you’d like, add a slice of sandwich bread to the cookie container (the end pieces are great for this). The moisture in the bread helps restore the cookies’ softness!
Can you freeze poor man’s cookies?
Yes! When properly stored, these drop-style cookies freeze well and will keep for up to three months. Bake the cookies as directed and allow them to cool completely. Arrange the cooled cookies in a single layer on a sheet pan or freezer-safe tray and freeze them until firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer the cookies to an airtight container or freezer storage bag. Thaw the cookies at room temperature or warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
Poor Man’s Cookie Tips
Are these cookies good for you?
When it comes to cookies and other baked goods, the old saying applies: everything in moderation. That being said, poor man cookies are made with shortening, and traditional shortening contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are a source of unhealthy trans fats. For a healthier option, look for shortening labeled trans-fat free or without hydrogenated oils on the ingredient list.
Why did my cookies spread and stick together?
Poor man cookies spread during baking and can stick to each other if baked too close together. Your cookies can spread more if you don’t cream the shortening and sugars long enough. To avoid this, cream the ingredients until light and fluffy, three to five minutes, and leave at least 2 inches of space between each cookie dough scoop on the baking sheet.
Can you substitute butter for shortening?
You can make poor man’s cookies with 1 cup softened unsalted butter instead of shortening. With butter, these cookies will spread more, resulting in a thinner, crispier cookie with a rich, buttery taste. You can reduce the spreading by placing the cookie dough in the fridge for one hour before baking.
Watch How to Make Poor Man’s Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups rolled oats
Directions
1
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in water and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in oats.
2
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to stand 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Facts
1 cookie: 112 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 54mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 1g protein.
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