3/4 c. hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3/4 c. packed light brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. frozen concentrated orange juice, thawed but undiluted
3 tbsp. finely grated or chopped orange rind (no pith)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 1/2 c. regular rolled oats (not quick cooking)

In a mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon, or in the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening until soft. Beat in the brown sugar, then the granulated sugar, and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the orange juice concentrate and orange rind.

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, combining them thoroughly. Add the oats; mix well.

If you are making 6 or 9-inch cookies, cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease the foil lightly; you'll need another sheet of greased foil for each batch following the first. If you are making 3 1/2 inch cookies, lightly grease 1 or 2 baking sheets.

For 9-inch maximonsters: Using a 7-inch pot lid or round baking pans as a pattern, mark with a fingertip a circle into the greased surface of each foil covered baking sheet. Measure a level measuring cupful of dough for each cookie (or divide the batch into 4 equal parts, if you're using all of it for large cookies). With fingers and the heel of your hand or a rubber spatula, pat the dough for each cookie into a neat round inside the marking. (The cookies will be baked one at a time. If you have only one baking sheet, form each cookie on an individual sheet of greased foil, then bake each in turn on the cookie sheet. Be sure the pan has cooled down before reusing it.)

For 6-inch monsters: Measure out a level 1/3 cup measure for each cookie. Place 3 mounds, spacing them at least 2 inches apart, on each baking sheet covered with greased foil. Flatten them out to a 5-inch diameter with the fingers and palm of your hand or a dampened rubber spatula.

For 3 1/2 inch cookies: Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the greased baking sheet, placing them well apart so there will be about 3 inches of expansion room between them. Flatten the mounds slightly with the palm and fingers of your hand or with a dampened rubber spatula.

Bake the cookies, regardless of size, in the center of a preheated 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until they are browning lightly around the edges and the centers are semi-firm when lightly touched. The larger cookies should be cooled on the foil, first for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then on a rack. Cool the small cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then remove them to a wire rack and cool them completely.

Bagged, wrapped or kept in covered containers, the cookies will keep for as long as 2 weeks at room temperature. The biggest ones should be backed by a round of thin cardboard or 2 layers of heavy-duty foil as insurance against breakage. For longer storage, refrigerate or freeze them. Refresh them in a 300 degree oven 10 minutes, then cool them again before serving.

Yield: 4 (9-inch) cookies or 12 to 14 (6-inch) cookies or about 3 dozen (3 1/2 inch) cookies.