Cathy, you forgot that it also teaches them math! Dcarch, neither of those girls stay still long enough for many Norman Rockwell moments, LOL. Maybe it's the sugar. I love that serious face when Madi is scooping dough though, it's a serious job, that one should go on the cover of one of those baking magazines. (grin) Mitch, Maci will be a year old in August, Madi will be three in December. Right now Madi is more fun, but Maci is learning fast how yummy cookies are. Islay, the cookies were pretty good, it's a good thing they took them home. plllog, they aren't efficient, but they are darned cute. (grin) Grandmamary, it is so worth it. It takes time and they make a mess, but they have such a good time. Even Maci will sit in her high chair and play with cookie dough. Well, mostly she eats it, but still.... Laurie, those chairs came with the Duncan Phyfe table in my kitchen. I bought the table and 6 chairs, newly reupholstered, for $50.00. Some lady in Coopersville had them, they belonged to her mother. She threw in three leaves and the felt protectors too... Thanks everyone. We have a really good time baking. Annie

That's essentially the recipe my mother used all the time. They're great. She always used shortening. Nice and crumbly. My sister mixes butter and shortening. I usually use the butter flavored shortening. Also she never added the salt. Peanut butter generally has enough salt and if you use salted butter, that too has salt in it but use if you like. A suggestion to speed things up, just grab a bunch of the dough and roll it in your hands into a log shape about 1"-1 1/2" or however big you want them, then break off the pieces and set in the pan. Take the fork and go at them. My mother's recipe said to dip the fork in flour but I usually touch the fork to the dough then dip it in sugar. As you're breaking off pieces, usually 2-3 in the pan and one in the mouth. Love that peanut butter cookie dough!

Forgot to mention that the original recipe indicated: Drop by teaspoonfuls and bake for 15-17 minutes. I make a lot of cookies and I know that this is way too long for this size cookie. I dropped mine by tablespoonfuls and baked them for exactly 12 minutes. They are crunchy but not hard! At first I thought they were a little dry but I think it's the bran in it. When they're cooled, they're very good. I've been eating some for breakfast with my coffee... I figure..heck.. they got rolled oats and bran! can't be that bad for breakfast.. LOL Our dog really loves them! She just hears you in the cookie jar and gets really excited! At first I hesitated to make this recipe but decided to give it a try because of the oats and bran. Glad I did because I will make this often... healthier than your usual cookie. Because I love to bake, I try to use brown sugar and/or honey instead of white sugar... the oats and bran is a bonus here! Found this recipe in my drawer.. had put it there 15+ years ago and never bothered to try it.

My mother wasn't a baker - she was too impatient - but I'm the opposite. The weeks of marathon baking, candy making, caramel corn, fruit cakes (dark and light), pound cakes, party mix (and other snack-mixes), and any number of other assorted goodies I once loved doing are officially over. I honestly don't think I could afford it anymore!!! It was one time of the year we could share our bounty with others. The dining room table was filled with plate after plate, bag after bag, box after box, of goodies distributed far and wide. Now you have to worry who's gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, sugar-free, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-carb, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, and cross-contamination....and it takes all the fun out of it. Years ago, this was about the only time we had these kinds of goodies, and now we are all trying to avoid them (LOL). I remember gallon and 1/2-gallon jars filled with those tiny little Peppernuts. Then there were pressed cookies, thumbprint cookies, whole wheat sugar cookies, gumdrop cookies, snickerdoodles, rosettes, Christmas mince bars, chocolate pixies, turtle cookies, shortbread, ginger creams, spritz, chocolate and almond teacakes, glazed fruit bars, peanut butter oatmeal cookies..... It was great fun to get the whole family involved in production because we always talk about those memories of all the things we made in our dinky little kitchen. How hubby's famous microwave peanut brittle took up the whole kitchen table to cool. Now all fond memories.... :-)