Today is also Honesty Day, when you’re supposed to answer all questions honestly.

So here’s the truth: I like oatmeal cookies. I really like them with chocolate chips (but not raisins, which is not the oatmeal’s fault). But I never make them because I am apparently a minority of 1.5 in my family—the hubs declines, the kid (when he’s home) makes a face, and my mom will eat a couple and then beg off.

I guess I understand it. Done badly, oatmeal cookies can be baaaad. Brickbats with flakes. But done properly? Such a nice texture! And flavor!

I made these cookies a lot as a kid. I spent summers with my grandparents, and my grandmother and I would bake cookies at least three times each visit. My grandfather liked oatmeal. I liked chocolate chips. My grandmother liked cookies. Et voila.

So here is the recipe of my childhood. I won’t say it’s foolproof, but it worked well for me!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Add salt, vanilla, and egg. Beat for one minute. Add flour and baking soda. (Be careful with the flour, too little is much better than too much. Fluff the flour, don’t pack it into the cup, and be scant.) Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Chill dough for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes; cookies should still be soft in the middle. Let cool on the sheet for a minute then move to racks to cool completely.