I rarely bake cookies anymore, but when the mood strikes this is usually my first choice. The original recipe is from Cooks Illustrated.

Crisp Salted Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ teaspoon sea salt (like Maldon or fleur de sel for sprinkling on top)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and table salt in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula, then add egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Scrape down bowl again. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until just incorporated and smooth. Gradually add oats and stir until well incorporated.

3. Roll into balls, then place on baking sheets about 2 ½ inches apart. Using fork gently press down each ball to about ¾-inch thickness. Sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt on each cookie.

4. Bake until cookies are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Yield: about 34 cookies

Oh they look delicious. Do you think I could possibly add some cranberries and walnuts?

I make these as Christmas gifts for neighbors each year. I put them in cellophane bags and tie the top with a ribbon. I use raspberry and apricot jams.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html

Jab, sure you could! Deb from SmittenKitchen adds white chocolate to hers.

https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/05/crispy-salted-oatmeal-white-chocolate-cookies/

ETA: read the comments on Deb's blog. Quite a few people added or subbed dried cranberries.

I agree Ina's Thumbprints are good! I've filled them with jam and lemon curd.

I may have gotten this recipe on this board....delicious.

Cranberry/pistachio icebox cookies

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1-1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, shells discarded

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup coarse decorative sugar

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, and salt.

In the bowl of a standing or electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until dough comes together in clumps.

Add pistachios and cranberries.

Gather and press dough together. Cut dough in half and place each half on a sheet of waxed paper.

Form each half into a log about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Square off each log to form a bar (pressing two rulers along the length of the dough is helpful), and wrap each bar in waxed paper.

Chill until very firm, at least 2 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350�. Meanwhile, line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, beat egg. Brush egg over logs on all sides.

Place coarse sugar on a separate sheet of waxed paper. Roll bars in sugar, coating well.

Cut each bar crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, rotating bar after cutting each slice to keep square shape. (If dough is too soft to slice, freeze briefly until firm.)

Arrange cookies about a half inch apart on lined baking sheets. Bake 15-18 minutes.

Transfer cookies from parchment to racks and cool completely before serving

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Mexican Orange-Cornmeal Sandies. It's the Family Circle recipe on the web. I hate making sheet after sheet of cookies, but these are slice and bake so I can bake just a few as needed. The cornmeal just gives a little crispiness. I omit the walnuts and typically don't dip them in melted chocolate, but I'd do that if you're baking all the dough and giving them as gifts. This recipe is fool-proof too!

Cindy, I'm making those oatmeal cookies! I've been looking for a good crisp oatmeal cookie recipe for a long time.

The first recipe looks like my mil's recipe for "Cowboy Cookies" plus chocolate chips. My boys loved her cookies.

I am so glad for this thread. I need to bake something new to send in care packages this weekend.

This has been THE crowd favorite for many years. I get special requests for them year round-- and they won "best in show" at the annual cookie party. That said, the white chocolate makes them a little sweet for me

White Chocolate Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies
Yield: 36 Large cookies or 72 small

3 cups all purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda3/4 teaspoon salt1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar3/4 cup sugar2 large eggs1 tablespoon vanilla extract1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (about 8 1/2 ounces)1 cup coarsely chopped roasted salted macadamia nuts (about 4 1/2 ounces)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add both sugars and beat until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then vanilla. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Using spatula, stir in cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts.
2. For large cookies, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing 21/2 inches apart. For small cookies, drop dough by level tablespoonfuls onto sheets, spacing 11/2 inches apart.
3. Bake cookies until just golden, about 18 minutes for large cookies and about 15 minutes for small cookies. Cool on sheets. Do ahead Can be made ahead. Store airtight at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

I make jam thumbprints, too, but without coconut. Try them with nutella. Oh my goodness, just try them.

Give me some old fashioned toll house cookies, only I use better chocolate than nestle's or hershey's.

"I never met a cookie I didn't like", Mae West. NOT! Doesn't anyone make thumbprint cookiesand just sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar? That's how Mom made them and I use her recipe. Tibb, homemade apricot jam/preserves? OMG, would be absolutely delish too!

These are really good if you want something chocolate.

Mocha
Truffle Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

In a large saucepan melt butter and the 1/2 cup chocolate pieces over low
heat. Remove from heat. Stir in coffee crystals; cool 5 minutes. Stir in
sugars, eggs, and vanilla.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and
salt. Stir into coffee mixture. Stir in the 1 cup chocolate pieces. Drop dough
by rounded tablespoons onto lightly greased cookie sheets.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven 10 minutes. Let cool 1 minute before removing
from sheet.

Makes 30 cookies.

I do enjoy a chocolate snowflake cookie.

Nana's Spritz Cookies, but a cookie press is needed. I've used it since it was published. Use a high-quality butter.

I just made a batch of the best oatmeal raisin cookies to take to the staff at my Dad's nursing facility. They just don't dry out. It's a very old recipe handed down in the family. The trick is to soak a cup of raisins in three eggs mixed up with a teaspoon of good vanilla for an hour. It also uses shortening instead of butter. I'm not home right now but will post the recipe later if anyone would like it.

This one, from a 1950s pamphlet of recipes using walnuts, is super quick & easy & soooo good - you can use white or brown sugar or 1/2 & 1/2. Bar cookies come out very crisp & buttery. You really do need to cut when hot or they shatter.:

Toffee Bars

1 c. brown sugar ( may sub. white mixed w/ 1 Tbsp molasses)

3/4 c. butter

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. chopped nuts

1/2 c. raisins (optional)

Blend all ingredients well.

Press into 10"X15' jelly roll pan - 1/4"-3/8" thick

Bake 18-25 minutes @ 350F (until golden brown).

Cut while hot.

Remove from pan when cool.

prairiemom61, yes, please post your oatmeal raisin cookie recipe.

I don't know what happend to my earlier post but I love all these recipes and plan to make each and every one at some point! Thank you all so very much. Yes prairiemom61, please post your recipe!!!

Here's one of my favorites. This is Annie's (from GW Cooking Forum) recipe. Like her, I am generous with the crystallized ginger ;) The combination of the ginger heat, chewy texture and the slight crunch from the turbinado sugar topping is irresistible to me. A great Fall/Winter cookie!

CHEWY MOLASSES COOKIES

I absolutely LOVE a ginger cookie.. I especially like that with a great ginger cookie, just one is perfect! I am not left wanting more. thank you, amck