These oat cookies were always a favorite of mine. Mormor said the recipe was Miss Olsen’s, and they should be so thin you can look through them. It sounds difficult to make, but, honestly, it’s the easiest cookie ever: just some mixing and spooning the batter onto a baking sheet and watching closely.

MY MORMOR never really spoke of her parents. They had both died during the Spanish Flu pandemic. Mormor and her sister went to a girls’ home, and she would tell outrageous stories about that time in her life. I always thought of her as Annie in the orphanage, but there was no Daddy Warbucks to save her.

When she was 14, she went into service with a priest and his wife. Mormor would tell stories of how mean they were and how badly they treated her. Her only friend there was the cook, Miss Olsen, a large older woman who taught my mormor a lot about cooking and baking.

These oat cookies were always a favorite of mine. Mormor said the recipe was Miss Olsen’s, and they should be so thin you can look through them. It sounds difficult to make, but, honestly, it’s the easiest cookie ever: just some mixing and spooning the batter onto a baking sheet and watching closely, because they burn easily. So be alert … or Miss Olsen will haunt you!

MAKES ABOUT 20

1. Preheat oven to 400oF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg and sugar until light and creamy.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats and butter.
4. Pour the beaten egg and sugar mixture into the oats, and add baking powder.
5. Mix well.
6. With a teaspoon, spoon batter for 6 to 7 cookies onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving plenty of room between the cookies, because they will spread.
7. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes. Check on the cookies frequently, as they burn very easily. Cookies should be golden brown.
8. Remove cookies from oven, and let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before placing on a cooling rack. Store up to a week in an airtight container.

Photography by Paul Lowe