Giant Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever tasted. Seriously. I found the recipe tucked neatly inside my Better Homes and Gardens New Baking Book and thought, "Hmmm. Exactly how giant can they be?" I found out. I had a difficult time finding a storage container wide enough to fit them.

I made them first as directed with dried tart cherries. Within a week I was making them again with dark chocolate chips and orange zest. Both times? Amazing. (I veganized them by substituting chia gel for eggs and margarine for butter.)

Ingredients
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tblsp. Chia gel (or egg replacer equivalent for 2 eggs)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups snipped dried tart cherries
1 tsp orange zest

Instructions
Grease a cookie sheet; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening with electric mixer for 30 secs. Add brown sugar, white sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add egg replacer and vanilla and beat thoroughly. Beat in flour. Stir in oats, dried cherries, and orange zest.

Fill a 1/3 cup measure with dough and drop onto greased cookie sheet. Press into a 4 in. circle. Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing cookies about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden. Let stand for a minute then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield: 14 large cookies
(You might split them in half to savor the joy a little longer...or maybe not.)
;-)