Good-bye to Jane: An Oatmeal Pecan Cookie Tribute

We recently lost my older sister, Jane, to an aggressive form of Parkinson's disease.  Her decline was very fast and we are all very sad that she is gone at such a young age.  It has been a big shock.  

Family and friends traveled to Texas hill country outside San Antonio last weekend for her funeral.  It was a lovely tribute to her and wonderful celebration of her life.

Afterwards we gathered at their new home nestled in the hills with fantastic views.  Jane had decorated it beautifully with the help of her family and caregivers.  It has a very large great room with an open concept so we were all able to eat and talk together. 

There were trays of Texas beef brisket BBQ with fixings brought in from a nearby BBQ place.  And their new neighbors had brought over all kinds of desserts, including a buttermilk pecan pie, which I had never had before.

Colleen arrived from California with tubs of her popular cookies ---she says it is the Hungarian way ----to comfort people with food, and baking in their honor.

Black Lava Cookies 

A Slab of Barefoot Contessa Pecan Bars 

Gallets, a Hall family tradition

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies, see below

Jane was a big supporter of Feast Everyday, and participated from the beginning in 2009, both contributing and making recipes from the blog, until she could no longer cook.  Many of her recipes were dishes she would make and take to her book group. 

And earlier this year, she (with Rex's assistance) made sure I finally got a gallet iron of my own off eBay.  

The last meal I remember her cooking for Tom and me was a chicken cacciatore with side dishes, and homemade cookies for dessert.   She was more a decorator than a cook, now that I think about it, but she always made good food.  And she loved her sets of dishes, creating tablesettings, and celebrating the holidays.  We shared that in common. 

Jane has been sending me Texas pecans on and off over the last 20 years, because she knew I loved them. She used to know a woman who would gather them from under the trees so I'd get a delivery of very fresh pecans, which are the best!  In more recent years, she notoriously sent us 10 pounds of pecans which we worked on using up for months and months...and months.    

So I think it is fitting that I post this Oatmeal Pecan cookie recipe from Colleen today.   It is packed with extra pecans.  

Good-bye, Jane, we will miss you!  

---Barbara

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies (Colleen's)

Makes 36 big cookies

5 sticks butter, softened
1 ½ cups light brown sugar packed
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
6 cups old fashioned Quaker Oats (or one small container)
3 cups chopped pecans


Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt, soda and cinnamon and blend. Add oats and chopped pecans. Scoop with an ice cream scoop onto cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and cover and refrigerate for a few hours.Remove cookies from fridge and then set oven to 375. This allows balls to warm up a bit before baking. Bake a few inches apart on sheets lined with parchment. Check after 10-12 minutes – cookies should have flattened a little and be set in the middle. You might need to bake another minute or two depending on your oven. Remove and let sit on cookie sheet to cool. These freeze well!
---Colleen