HOW TO PREPARE some special ingredients the quick, easy way!
Reading edition
Place it on waxed paper set in bowl over boiling water. or Place it in a small bowl set in a wire strainer over boiling water. Remove melted chocolate from bowl or paper with rubber scraper.
PREPARING NUTS
Some foods look and taste their best if the nuts in them are in big chunks. In others, the nuts should be in smaller pieces. The recipes tell you just how.
Broken Nuts: It’s quick and easy to break nuts with fingers into about ⅓-inch chunks. Cut-Up Nuts: Cut with scissors (works better than knife) into about ¼-inch pieces. Coarsely Chopped Nuts: Chop with long, straight knife. Hold point against cutting board, chop crisply through spread out nuts—swinging handle around in quarter circle.
TOAST NUTS: to be sure they will taste fresh. Heat through in moderate oven.
Finely Chopped Nuts: Chop same as for Coarsely Chopped, but into finer pieces. Blanched Nuts: Drop shelled nuts into boiling water. Let stand 2 to 5 minutes (until skins are loosened). Pour off hot water, add some cold. Pinch each nut between thumb and finger to push off skins, and lay nuts on plate or paper toweling to dry. Sliced or Slivered Nuts: First blanch ... then cut with very sharp knife while nuts are moist and warm.
Ground Nuts: Use fine knife of food grinder for finely ground ... coarse knife for coarsely ground. Nuts should be dry.
PREPARING DRIED FRUITS
Seeded raisins are the large variety from which seeds have been removed. The sweetness released when they were slit open makes them sticky. Seedless raisins are the small variety, both dark and light ... dried from seedless grapes. Cut them to get the full sweetness and flavor. Plump seedless raisins by washing and spreading them out in a flat pan. Cover. Heat slowly in mod. oven (350°) until they puff up and wrinkles come out.
Cut up dates and other sticky fruits with wet scissors. Dip scissors in water occasionally. Snip through long shreds of coconut with scissors to shorten them. The shorter shreds blend into doughs more evenly. To tint shredded coconut: Soak it in milk or water (¼ cup for ½ cup coconut) with a few drops of food coloring added. Drain, dry on absorbent paper.
To cut citron or candied orange or lemon peel, first slice it thinly—then cut slices into ½″ or ¼″ squares.
EQUIVALENT WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
NUTS IN SHELL SHELLED NUTS
ALMONDS 1 lb. = 1 cup nut meats 1 lb. = 3½ cups nut meats
PECANS 1 lb. = 2¼ cups nut meats 1 lb. = 4 cups nut meats
PEANUTS 1 lb. = 2 cups nut meats 1 lb. = 3 cups nut meats
WALNUTS 1 lb. = 2 cups nut meats 1 lb. = 4 cups nut meats
= = = =
1 CUP WHOLE SHELLED NUTS broken cut-up coarsely chopped minus 1 tbsp. finely chopped ⅞ CUP
WHOLE PITTED CUT-UP FINELY CUT
DATES 1 lb. = 2¼ cups 2 cups 1¾ cups 1½ cups
PRUNES 1 lb. = 2⅓ cups 3½ cups (cooked) 3 cups (cooked) 2⅞ cups (cooked)
FIGS 1 lb. = 2¾ cups —— 2⅔ cups 2½ cups
RAISINS 15-oz. pkg. = 2¾ cups —— 2¾ cups 2½ cups
Some of the sweetest memories of Home are bound up with Mother’s Cooky Jar. Long after the spicy fragrance of her ginger cookies baking has faded into the years ... the thought of that ample cooky jar on the shelf will bring back vividly the old-time peace ... and comfort ... and security of Home. Every Home should have a cooky jar!
Hidden Treasures for the Toddlers
Monkey-Faced Cookies 19
Sugar Cookies 30
Molasses Crinkles 25
Peanut Butter Cookies 40
Brown Sugar Drops 16
Old-Time Cinnamon Jumbles 20
Washboards 25
“Tea-Off” with Cookies (for tea)
Stone Jar Molasses Cookies 34
Butter Cookies 31 and 43
Lemon Sugar Cookies 30
Chocolate Pinwheels 30
Petticoat Tails 24
New Northland Cookies 23
Dainty Tea Brownies 26
Thumbprint Cookies 41
English Tea Cakes 41
Lemon Snowdrops 41
3-in-1 Jumbles 20
Macaroons 21
For Hungry Home-Comers
Hermits 17
Gingies 34
Busy-Day Nut Drops 16
Snickerdoodles 25
Chocolate Cream Drops 18
Oatmeal Drop Cookies 19
Spiced Prune Drops 17
Wheaties Drop Cookies 17
Lunch Box Surprises (taste-thrillers all!)
Salted Peanut Cookies 16
Brownies 26
Monkey-Faced Cookies 19
Applesauce Cookies 17
Fig Bars 32
Plantation Fruit Bars 26
Tutti-Frutti Surprises 27
Glazed Orange Jumbles 20
Prune-Orange Bars 29
Put a “Lift” in Simple Desserts
Brazil or Pecan Jumbles 20
Coconut Cream Drops 18
Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies 22
Orange-Almond Refrigerator Cookies 22
Butterscotch Cookies with Burnt Butter Icing 18
Date-Apricot Bars 29
Picnic Stars (under any skies)
Chocolate Cream Drops 18
Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies 24
Coconut-Lemon Bars 28
Frosted Gingies 34
Fruit-and-Nut Drops 18
Filled Cookies 32
Peanut Macaroons 21
Say “MERRY CHRISTMAS” with Cookies
Holiday Fruit Cookies 16
Berliner Kranser 42
Poinsettias 32
Zucker Hütchen (“Little Sugar Hats”) 38
Scotch Shortbread 39
Hazelnut Bars 29
Mandel Kager (“Almond Cookies”) 42
Lebkuchen 38
Nurnberger 38
Merry Christmas Cookies (Dark and Light) 37
Spritz 43
Jelly-Meringue-Filbert Bars 28
Almond Wreaths 43
Finska Kakor (“Finnish Cakes”) 39
Sandbakelser (“Sand Tarts”) 39
Almond Crescents 41
Quick Cure for Homesickness (send plenty to divvy up)
Date-and-Nut Squares 27
Hermits 17
Chocolate Chip Cookies 20
Filled Cookies 32
Date-Apricot Bars 29
Chocolate-Frosted Brownies 26
Ginger Creams 19
His Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies 33
Fun for the Youngsters (“tricks or treats” for Hallowe’en)
Animal Cookies 37
Wheaties-Coconut Macaroons 21
Cookies with Faces 31
Decorated Party Cookies (place cards, etc.) 31
Jewelled Cookies 27
Chocolate Cream Drops 18
Chocolate Pinwheels 30
Gingerbread Boys 34
Bedtime Snacks (for light refreshment)
Brown Sugar Drops 16
Sugar Jumbles 20
Coffee-and-Spice Drops 17
Ginger Refrigerator Cookies 23
Gold Cookies 25
Honey Peanut Butter Cookies 40
Coconut Jumbles 20
Mincemeat Cookies 17
Date-Oatmeal Cookies 40
Beau-Catchers (and Husband-Keepers)
Date-and-Nut Squares 27
Ginger Creams 19
Chocolate-Frosted Brownies 26
His Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies 33
Nut Sugar Cookies 30
Date-Nut Refrigerator Cookies 22
Matrimonial Cake (Date Bars) 29
Chocolate Chip Cookies 20
Toffee-Nut Bars 28
Say It with Cookies (for birthdays, sick friends, etc.)
Russian Tea Cakes 42
Butter Fingers 41
Walnut Squares 27
Little Sugar Hats 38
Filled Cookies in Fancy Shapes 32
Almond Wreaths 43
Orange-Chocolate Chip Cookies 20
Rich Sugar Cookies 30
CLIP AND FILE at end of this chapter new cooky recipes from Gold Medal ads and from recipe folders in every sack of Gold Medal Flour.
“Cooky Shines”
Won’t you come into our Kitchen and join us in our “Cooky Shines?” That used to mean tea parties—but it’s what we call our Staff sessions of cooky baking. We have lots of fun trying out all the delicious cookies that come to us from many lands. I’d like to show you some of the cookies most popular with Staff members and friends who have shared their favorite recipes with us. You’ll see many varieties in the color picture on the next page. Please take a look—then turn back.
New, Easy, Double-Quick Way
Don’t all those cookies look tempting? And they’re ever so easy to make! For we’ve worked out a new simplified method—a double-quick method! Takes less than half the usual mixing time! Would you like to know the secret? Then turn to the step-by-step pictures following. Imagine you are standing right beside one of our Staff while she makes cookies. Could anything be easier? There’s no laborious creaming, no separate beating of eggs, only one bowl! Just a few simple basic steps.
More and Better Help
Now turn to the recipe pages, and have the fun of making the many different types of cookies. You’ll find all the little pointers you would notice if you were right in our kitchen. For instance, there’s a brand-new feature which I think will be a big help to you. We tell how to judge when the cookies are done. And don’t miss the recipes marked with a ★! They are special favorites with our Staff!
The “Key” Recipe Makes You Master of Many
You’ll love the new plan of key recipes with variations. When you master the key () recipe you’ll automatically know how to make several different kinds of cookies. And notice that each recipe calls for our all-purpose Gold Medal “Kitchen-tested” Enriched Flour. This is to safeguard your results.
Because you see, every recipe has been developed with and for this particular flour—and tested in representative homes—with Gold Medal. It gives that moist, full-flavored quality everyone wants in cookies.
Recipes Fit the Needs
The recipes are given in practical amounts for average families. Those for everyday cookies, and holiday cookies that keep well, make enough so you won’t have to bake too often. Recipes for the richer, dainty cookies make enough for special occasions.
Happy Memories
We’ve tried to include all the hints, shortcuts and tricks that save you time and work so you can delight your family with new treats each week. Cookies bring such a big reward in cheer and satisfaction! They make hospitality so easy! Invite your friends to join you for “Cooky Shines” in your kitchen and you’ll be giving them happy memories they’ll all cherish as long as they live!
★ 1 Place-Card Cookies
★ 2 Gingerbread Boys, Boy and Girl and Animal Cookies
★ 3 Date-Nut Squares (wrapped), Toffee-Nut Bars
★ 4 Peanut Butter Cookies
★ 5 Above star: Chocolate Cream Drop, Date-Nut Square, Matrimonial Cooky Below star: Toffee-Nut Bar, Hermit
★ 6 Left: Sugar Cookies Right: Chocolate Chip Cookies
★ 7 Hermits
★ 8 Cookies for Parties: Hatchets, Flowers, Hearts
★ 9 Outer ring: Flower-shaped Butter Cookies Second ring: Scotch Shortbread Third ring: Frosted Chocolate Cream Drops with Thumbprint Cookies Centered: Coconut Macaroons with leaf-shaped Butter Cookies
★ 10 Chocolate Chip Cookies
★ 11 Chocolate Cream Drops
★ 12 Left to right: Date-Nut Squares, Butterscotch Cookies with Burnt Butter Icing, Brownies, Filled Cookies, Chocolate Refrigerator Cookies