Lpink, I thank you for the sacrifices you have made on my behalf! LOL Your cookies look much better than mine from that recipe did! Although I have not experimented more with that particular recipe, I have tried the 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening in the Tollhouse recipe, with no noticeable improvement. I do find parchment a good idea, and am using it almost always for cookies, now. But it doesn't seem to keep the cookies from spreading, it just makes it easier to remove them from the pans, and cleanup is quicker. I just finished a batch made with my sister-in-law's tried and true recipe and still....flat cookies. I do believe someone has put a cookie curse on me! Linda

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies A modified version of the Quaker Oats VORC (look under the lid). As with all cookie recipes, freezing your chocolate chips and cranberries will make a huge difference in the finished cookie. The chips will hold together under heat and cranberries won't puree in the mixer. Let these cookies cool completely! Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 cups Quaker Oats - regular, not the instant or overnight 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup chocolate chips - not minis 2 cups cranberries Process: Cream both sugars and the butter until soft and fluffy Add the eggs and vanilla and mix Mix the flour, baking soda, cranberries, and chocolate chips in a large bowl and then add to the mixer and combine at low speed for a minute at most Add the oatmeal and combine at low speed Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper Roll the dough into 1" to 1-1/2" balls and place on the baking sheets Flatten them if you want crispy cookies, otherwise leave them as balls to get chewy centers Bake 13-15 minutes or until the edges start to get brown Cool completely on racks. Yields around 3 dozen cookies

Here's the recipe for Mrs. Barden's Bourbon Balls. It's probably the easiest cookie to make because it's a no-bake recipe. Every year I look forward to making these for a few reasons ~ they're DH's favorite's, they're really attractive in a cookie plate, there are only a few ingredients and they don't have to be baked, which saves me mucho time when I'm up to my eyeballs in cookies baking in the oven. I use a cookie scoop to shape them and for uniformity. I do them "in between" my other cookies when the oven's full and I need a breather. Make sure you mellow them for at least 48 hours before you eat them ;o) Mrs. BardenÂs Bourbon Balls Ingredients: 1 cup fine vanilla wafer crumbs 1 cup finely chopped pecans 1 cup confectioners' sugar (plus more for rolling) 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup bourbon 1 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons light corn syrup Preparation: Combine 1 cup crushed vanilla wafer crumbs, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and 2 tbs. cocoa in a food processor. Pulse until fine. In a separate bowl, blend the bourbon and corn syrup. Pour the bourbon mixture into the dry mixture; mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the food processor. Cover and chill for at least a few hours. Sift about 1/2 to 1 cup of confectioners' sugar on a cookie sheet. Shape small bits of the dough into balls and roll them in the confectioners'. Store in refrigerator in tightly covered containers. Make these a few days in advance for best flavor, and roll in confectioners' sugar again before serving, if desired. These can also be frozen for longer storage. Makes about 3 dozen

Annie, yes, I have made those cookies. Does anyone remember Mr Food? He used to do little segments on TV.....and he gave out that recipe, calling them, The Best Cookie Ever. They really were great. It was in the mid '80's....when I was in my cookie baking prime. I collected cookie recipes and super good ones went in my permanent file. This was one of them. I lost those recipes in the flood. I had forgotten all about this cookie. I think I am going to make them again.