1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups Quaker oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat well. Add combined dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in oats; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie or 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Variations
Stir in 1 cup raisins or other diced dried fruit.

Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts.

Omit spices; stir in 1 cup chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter flavor chips.

Bar Cookies
Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars.

Yields about 2 dozen.