Poor Man’s Cookies

Total Time Prep: 20 min. Bake: 10 min./batch

Yield 3 dozen

Poor man's cookies are similar to chewy oatmeal cookies but are made without eggs, butter or milk. This vintage cookie recipe relies on a handful of pantry staples, proving you don't need fancy ingredients to make delicious baked goods.

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

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.
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.

In the 1930s, producers of a popular radio program called 'Jake and Lena' invited listeners to write in for this recipe. My mother changed the name from Jake and Lena Cookies to Poor Man's Cookies because they contained no eggs, milk or nuts. Despite the name, the cookies are rich in taste! —Georgia Perrine, Bremerton, Washington

Recipe Creator