How to:Beltane Oatmeal Cookies

Gather supplies.

Cream butter & sugar together. Add vanilla & egg.

Add flour mixture.

Add oatmeal.

Scrape sides & ensure all flour and oatmeal has been blended.

Roll into balls and place on tray.

Cool on wire rack.

Eat!

Oats are often associated with Beltane feasts, and these cookies won't disappoint. I'm not a fan of cooked raisins (they've ruined may a coffee cake for me), so you won't find any here. Instead, these have just a bit of nutmeg that makes them unlike any other oatmeal cookies I've had.

Once the cookies have cooled, if you want to make things more Beltane-y, try drizzling the tops lightly with honey and sprinkling with roasted sunflower seeds.

Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/4 C butter, room temperature

• 3/4 C packed brown sugar

• 1/2 C sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 t vanilla

• 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

• 1 t baking soda

• 1/2 t salt

• 1 t ground cinnamon

• 1/4 t ground nutmeg

• 3 C quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in one bowl.

3. Beat butter and sugar in another bowl until creamy.

4. Add egg and vanilla to butter-sugar mix and beat well.

5. Add combined flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well.

6. Add oats and mix well. This may be slow and require some arm power.

7. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

8. Bake 8 to 11 minutes.

Shorter cooking=chewy; longer cooking=crispy—or if you’re oven’s wonky like mine, upper oven=chewy (flat ones in the cooling photo), lower oven=crispy (puffy ones).