Oatmeal cookies have gotten a bad rap lately. I personally love them, but I’ve noticed a lot of other people holding them in contempt for failing to be chocolate chip cookies. It’s like the cookie equivalent of a parent saying, “Why can’t you be more like your sister? Everyone loves Chocolate Chip!”

In this case, I had to check myself because these oatmeal raisin cookies aren’t like the ones I’m used to getting from contemporary professional bakers. They don’t spread out and brown up as much in the oven, and the consistency is cake-ier. But rather than consider these cookies as lesser, maybe it’s possible to appreciate them for what they are. They’re still sweet and full of oatmeal and raisins. They’re not the same, but still good.

Why am I call them antique? My mom had this recipe on an index card in her recipe box, attributed to my great-aunt Pauline. The recipe is old enough that it predates temperature-controlled ovens. The original baking instruction was to “bake in a mod. oven.” There was no baking time or temperature provided. In this case, “mod” was short for “moderate” in temperature, which I’m interpreting as 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

But when you can’t control the temperature, you can’t assign a baking time, because that will vary based on the temperature. Instead, you have to keep checking and take the cookies out when they look done. For this recipe I tried eight minutes, then added more and more minutes. I stopped at 12 because the edges were crisping up then, even if they didn’t get very brown on top. If you try this recipe and keep them in longer, leave a comment to let me know know they turned out for you.

This makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour milk (buttermilk)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins

Cream the sugar and shortening.

Beat the eggs and add to the mix along with the vanilla.

Separately, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the mix, alternating with the buttermilk.

Add the rolled oats and raisins.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and add a little grease. Use a small scoop to apply even amounts of the cookie dough.

Bake at 350F for 12-13 minutes, checking for doneness.