Just one more cookie before we diet

100 Cookies. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

Christmas has come and gone, and while I made a handful of chocolates and cookies to give away as gifts to teachers and neighbors, the inevitable time crunch meant that the 100 Cookies had to wait until the week after Christmas. The 100 Cookies are sandy and buttery, with crunch from Rice Krispies and oatmeal and Heath Bar toffee bits. The coconut makes them reminiscent of a Ranger cookie, another oldie-but-goodie. If you're coconut-averse, give them a try - the coconut kind of melts into the cookie - there are no discernible shreds.

I’m not sure why they’re called “100 Cookies,” my guess is that because the recipe yield is close to 100, which puts it on my holiday must-bake list. Assemble the ingredients once, dirty up the kitchen once, and you have lots of cookies to package up and distribute to friends, family and co-workers. This cookie keeps well and would be a nice addition to a lunchbox.

100 cookies

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup canola oil

1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 oz. Heath Bar toffee bits

1. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Set aside.

2. Cut butter into tablespoon-size chunks. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter and oil. Blend well, until butter is in small pieces or creamed with sugar. Add Rice Krispies, coconut, oats, egg and vanillla. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in toffee pieces. Dough will be stiff; you may need to use your hands to incorporate the last of the ingredients.

3. Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 or until slightly golden around the edges.Let cool on wire rack. Keep at room temperature in an airtight container.

Text and images copyright 2011, Lucy Mercer.