“OMG I didn’t make enough cookies!” — words never uttered in this house. Usually, somewhere in mid-February I give up and end up tossing the remainder of Christmas cookies that I have not been able to pass off to relatives or friends. However, I know not everyone find such joy in baking like I do. With having 4 or 5 Christmas celebrations a year, there are times I run out of one cookie or another just because they were a big hit that year. I have been lucky and usually had enough of other cookies to substitute but say I didn’t, and there are crying children saying what will we leave for Santa… or more likely a wife, all sorts of flipping out because her cookie platter is short a cookie. The long and short of this is you need a quick cookie. We have just the one.

These cookies taste like you have slaved in the kitchen for hours, when in reality they only take a few minutes to make. Additionally these can either be made as a bar cookie or you can make them a refrigerator slice and bake. The dough is made in a similar manner to pie crust, but is much more forgiving.

Oatmeal Shortbread

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter (cold and cut into 1 tablespoon pieces)
• 2 Tablespoons milk (ice cold)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Lightly toast your rolled oats in the oven until fragrant and just golden (5-7 minutes). In your food processor mix all dry ingredients and pulse until the oats are chopped up into a meal. Add in the butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add the milk and pulse until a dough forms. Split the dough into two pieces. Roll into 2 inch diameter logs. Freeze for 30 minutes to one hour.

Slice the cookies into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Place about 1 inch apart on a parchment coated cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies appear dry and matte (cookies that need more time will appear shiny and wet). Allow cookies to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet and move them to a wire rack until they cool completely.