Subject: Quaker Oats Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
From: Kathleen
Date: 2/8/2020, 5:21 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
On 2/8/2020, Kathleen wrote:
I've only enjoyed one other recipe that stole my heart away, as well, which were baked
from a Quaker Oats recipe that was once printed on their Quaker Oats Old Fashioned
Rolled Oats Box, yet both recipes have foolishly been given away to family members who
have since passed away.
Is there any possibility of you finding these two recipes for me?
A Quaker Oats marketing rep has furnished me with their Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie recipe,
but it's NOT the recipe my mother used when she was baking my Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
for me. The recipe my Mom baked suggested a baking time of 10-12 minutes,(I believe ?), and
included Cinnamon, Ground Cloves and Nutmeg and possibly a pinch of Allspice(?), as well.
If you have any luck in finding this old Quaker Oats "Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookie" recipe
for me, and/or Cushman's Sugar Cookie recipe, I would be more than profoundly grateful to you.
Regardless, I do appreciate any effort you might be willing to make toward this end.
Thanks so much, in the interim.
Kathleen
Hi Kathleen,
There are a couple of things to consider with a recipe search like this. One is that Quaker Oats has been
in business a long time and in all that time they have likely put more than one or two spicy oatmeal cookies
recipes on their package. Another thing to consider is that if someone posted that recipe on the internet,
or if they copied it to their personal recipe book or file, they may not have written that it was copied
from the Quaker Oats package.
I was not able to find any "Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookie" recipe that said it was from the Quaker Oats box
except for the "vanishing oatmeal cookie recipe" that you said was not the correct recipe.
However, I found a photo of a Quaker Oats ad from a 1957 issue of Life Magazine that had a Raisin Spice
Oatmeal Cookie recipe in the ad that is close to your description. When I say "close", I mean that, while
it does call for cinnamon and nutmeg, it does not call for cloves, and the baking time is slightly different
from the one that you give. I have transcribed this recipe below, and I am also attaching a jpg graphic of
the ad recipe, which has a photo of the cookies themselves. I found this same recipe posted on the internet
in several places, but none of them mentioned that it was from the Quaker Oats box or from a Quaker ad.
Please let me know what you think.
Phaed
From Life Magazine May 20, 1957
Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
1 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 c. soft shortening
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk
1 c. raisins
2 c. uncooked Quaker or Mother's oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)
Sift together flour, soda, salt and spices into bowl. Add shortening, sugars,
egg and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in raisins and oats. Drop by teaspoons
on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven at (375°F) 12 to 15 minutes.
Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.
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Subject: Quaker Oats Raisin Spice Oatmeal Cookies
From: Kathleen
Date: 2/9/2020, 1:34 AM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Oh my God! You've just hit the jackpot with the latest message you sent me & instead
of clicking to "save that message & attachment" I accidentally trashed it! It only took
me one quick read through the recipe for Quaker Oats Raisin Spice Cookie Recipe & I
recognized it the very instant I read through it!
You're a genius, and obviously I'm a total idiot for not knowing how to save it on this
antique cell phone correctly.
PLEASE, PLEASE do send me that same message AND its attachment, once again! I never even
took the time to look over or read the attachment before I clicked the wrong button on
this 10 year old cell phone trying to save it. I'll write it down in ink and then type
it out BEFORE I'll even take the time to thank you profusely so I don't run the risk of
accidentally losing it again!
THAT is the recipe, exactly, that I've been searching all these years for.
You've given me back a gift I thought I'd never receive again in this lifetime, and I
simply can't put a price on its value!
Yours gratefully,
Kate
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Subject: Time to pay you back!
From: Denise
Date: 5/23/2021, 5:56 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
Hi Uncle Phaedrus!
Years ago I requested a recipe from you and you promptly found it.
I am very grateful. Thank you.
I just got another recipe that I wanted badly. When I was a young mother,
back in the early 80s, I made a recipe from the back of the Quaker Oats
box called "Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies." It was well named. It was perfect.
Well, the recipe was changed and I really wanted the one I made. It had
cloves and nutmeg, in addition to cinnamon. I wrote to the company and,
to my surprise, they found it for me!
I think that this is likely to be requested by someone, so here it is:
Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Heat oven to 350°/F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon
and salt; mix well. Add oats; mix well.
2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets;
remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
I always added raisins (1 cup).
Denise
