Grandma Twila's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
by Kelsey Merritt
My maternal grandmother, Twila Wilhelm, is the only person I know who still bakes a plateful of goodies to give to family around the Holidays. Miniature loaves of poppy seed bread, homemade potato mints, chocolate-covered toffee, and the ever-elusive divinity are coveted items that we all await to receive each year. But, the truth is that grandma’s counter always had cookies of some kind, or at the very least, a bag of fresh cinnamon raisin bread sat waiting for us to engulf when we walked in the door. My Grandma Twila is a skilled baker, though my favorite cookie that my grandmother makes is her Oatmeal Raisin recipe. Most kids (and to be fair— most adults) would shudder at an Oatmeal Raisin cookie, but that’s because they’ve never had these. Tender, with plump raisins and crumbly dough, these cookies keep me coming back to steal another again… and again… after baking.
My grandmother and I have spent a lot of time together over the years— whether at daily coffee with her and my Opa’s friends, sleepovers at her house that always included a game of Chutes and Ladders and an old movie (preferably John Wayne’s Hellfighters), or on one of the many trips I took with her and my Opa. The most memorable of those was the one we took via train to Chicago to visit family when I was 15, or when my grandmother washed my mouth out at 16 with Dawn soap for saying the word “crap.” When I looked at her in disbelief afterwards, she said, “Well, damnit, don’t use words like that!”
The youngest of six children, my grandmother grew up in Miles City, Montana, supported by her strong, hardworking mother. She attended the Kinman Business University following high school and married a month after her graduation, later becoming the administrative backbone of her husband, John’s, mechanic business for many years. With three children of her own, my grandmother found herself in the kitchen often, beckoning back to her mother’s work as a cook in several restaurants around Miles City. The point is simple: these women knew how to cook, and they knew how to work.
As a young woman, I was always intimidated in my grandmothers kitchens. Not because I wasn’t able to help, or that I wasn’t included in their act of baking, but instead, I was intimidated by the narrative they provided for me: to be capable mothers, wives, cooks, bakers, housewives, workers, and business partners. My own mother is the same— stubborn to the bone and a damn hard worker. But on each of their counters, you will find a jar or Tupperware filled with treats to offer to the next person that walks through their door. This legacy is one I hope to pass on to my son: Work hard. Stay stubborn. And always greet others with warmth, kindness, and a fresh cookie.
Ingredients
1 cup raisins
1 cup water
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
“Work hard. Stay stubborn. And always greet others with warmth, kindness, and a fresh cookie.”
Instructions
Gently boil 1 cup raisins with 1 cup water until about 5 tablespoons of juice remain.
In a mixing bowl, combine shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Whip very well.
Add in the baking soda, salt, oatmeal, flour, and nuts if desired. Mix well.
Add raisins and any remaining juice in the bowl.
Cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375˚F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
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