Grandma's Oatmeal Wafer Cookies

There’s nothing like a little comfort food when you're feeling far from home.

One of my favorite family recipes – and a total comfort food – is an Oatmeal Wafer Cookie recipe from one of my (four) grandmothers. As far as oatmeal cookies go, this recipe makes an unusually crunchy, raisin-free version. 

Pair this crispy treat with a glass of cold milk and I promise that you'll be comforted, too.

Grandma's Oatmeal Wafer Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup wheat germ

Heat the oven to 350F. Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Stir in the beaten egg. Mix the salt and baking soda in with the flour, then add the flour 1/4 cup at a time, stirring only enough to incorporate fully. Mix in the vanilla, then gently fold in the oatmeal and wheat germ. Using a wet teaspoon, drop little mounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spaced well apart. Using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a drinking glass, dip in water and use to press the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick round. Chill 5 minutes in the freezer, then bake until the cookies are a deep golden brown, rotating once, about 12 minutes. Slide the whole sheet of parchment paper off the baking sheet and onto a cooling rack.