COOKIES
Reading edition
MOLASSES OATMEAL COOKIES
1 cup sifted enriched flour ¼ teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoons double-acting or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar baking powder 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon nutmeg 2 cups uncooked quick oats ½ cup shortening ½ cup sugar ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon grated orange rind 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk ½ cup raisins ½ cup chopped nuts
Heat oven to 375° F. (moderate). Sift together first seven ingredients; mix with quick oats. Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses, vanilla, and orange rind. Beat in egg. Add milk, raisins, and nuts. Stir in flour mixture. Drop from teaspoon onto greased cooky sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned. Cool. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 4 dozen cookies.
13
OLD FASHIONED SOFT MOLASSES COOKIES
4 cups sifted enriched flour 1½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons ginger ½ teaspoon cloves 1 cup shortening 1½ cups GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ¼ cup sugar 1 egg
Heat oven to 350° F. (moderate). Sift together first six ingredients. Melt shortening in saucepan large enough for mixing cookies. Stir in molasses and sugar. Cool. Beat in egg. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat about 20 strokes. Shape into balls (golf-ball size). Place on greased cooky sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned. Store in covered stone jar.
YIELD: 4 dozen cookies.
CRISP MOLASSES COOKIES
3 cups sifted enriched flour ⅓ cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soda 2 teaspoons ginger 2 teaspoons cinnamon ¾ cup shortening 1⅓ cups GRANDMA’S MOLASSES 1 tablespoon vinegar
Heat oven to 400° F. (moderately hot). Sift first six ingredients into a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fingers to resemble coarse meal. Heat molasses just to boiling point; add vinegar and gradually stir into flour-shortening mixture. Chill dough until stiff enough to roll (3 hours or overnight). Roll dough ¹/₁₆ inch thick on lightly floured board. Shape with cooky cutters. Place on lightly greased cooky sheets. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until edges have lightly browned. Cool. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: About 6 dozen cookies.
Drop Cookies: Drop unchilled dough, ½ teaspoonful at a time, onto greased cooky sheets. Flatten ¹/₁₆ inch thick by stamping with glass covered with a damp cloth.
MOLASSES RUM BALLS
1 cup fine dry cooky or cake crumbs 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 cup chopped nuts 2 tablespoons GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ¼ cup rum or brandy
Mix first four ingredients. Add molasses and rum or brandy. Mix well. Shape into balls (hickory-nut size) with hands dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Roll balls in confectioners’ sugar. Chill until ready to serve.
YIELD: About 30 balls.
14
BRANDY SNAPS
1 cup sifted cake flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon ⅔ cup sugar ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES 2 teaspoons ginger ½ cup butter or margarine
Heat oven to 300° F. (slow). Sift together first four ingredients. Heat molasses just to boiling point in saucepan large enough for mixing cookies. Add butter or margarine; stir until melted. Stir in flour mixture. Mix well. Drop ½ teaspoonful dough at a time onto greased cooky sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 2 minutes. Carefully slip spatula underneath wafer to remove from pan. Quickly roll over handle of wooden spoon. If wafers become brittle before they are shaped, place in oven a minute to reheat. Then remove from pan. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 30 rolled wafers.
Ice Cream Shells: Drop 1 tablespoonful of dough at a time onto greased cooky sheets, 3 inches apart. Bake 20 minutes. Shape over bottom of custard cups. Just before serving, fill shells with ice cream.
YIELD: 18 ice cream shells.
MOLASSES SAND TARTS
4 cups sifted enriched flour 1⅔ cups sugar 1⅓ cups butter or margarine ⅔ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sift together flour and sugar. Cut in butter or margarine with fingers or pastry blender to resemble coarse meal. Combine molasses and eggs; stir into flour-butter mixture. Chill dough overnight or until ready to bake. Roll dough ¹/₁₆ inch thick on board dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Shape with cooky cutters. Place on greased cooky sheets. Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle lightly over unbaked cookies. Bake in moderately hot oven (400° F.) 6 to 7 minutes or until edges have lightly browned. Cool. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 14 dozen cookies.
Drop Cookies: Drop unchilled dough, ½ teaspoonful at a time, onto greased cooky sheets. Flatten cookies to ¹/₁₆ inch thick with bottom of glass covered with damp cloth.
GINGER SNAPS
3 cups sifted enriched flour 1½ teaspoons soda 1 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons ginger ½ cup shortening 1 cup sugar ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon water
Heat oven to 475° F. (very hot). Sift together first four 15 ingredients. Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses. Add water alternately with flour mixture. Put dough through pastry bag or drop ½ teaspoonful dough at a time onto greased cooky sheets. Flatten cookies ⅛ inch thick by stamping with bottom of glass covered with a damp cloth. Bake 6 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned. Cool. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 8 to 9 dozen cookies.
MOLASSES PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1 cup sifted enriched flour ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon double-acting or 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar baking powder ½ cup shortening ½ cup peanut butter ½ cup sugar ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk
Heat oven to 375° F. (moderate). Sift together first four ingredients. Cream shortening, peanut butter, and sugar. Add molasses and vanilla. Beat in egg. Add milk. Stir in flour mixture. Drop onto greased cooky sheets. Flatten cookies ⅛ inch thick by stamping with bottom of glass covered with damp cloth. Bake 10 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned. Cool. Store in tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 3½ dozen cookies.
MOLASSES COCONUT CHEWS
2 cups sifted cake flour ¼ teaspoon soda ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar ⅓ cup butter or margarine 1 cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ¼ teaspoon vanilla 4 egg whites, unbeaten 1¾ cups moist, shredded coconut
Heat oven to 350° F. (moderate). Sift together first four ingredients. Melt butter or margarine; add to flour mixture along with molasses, vanilla, and egg whites. Mix well, but do not overmix. Stir in coconut. Pour into two greased, 8x8x2-inch pans, lined with waxed paper, greased and lightly floured. Bake 35 minutes or until done. Remove from pan onto wire coolers; remove paper. When cold, cut each cake into 24 bars. Store in tightly closed tin box. MOLASSES COCONUT CHEWS improve with age if air is excluded when stored. YIELD: 48 bars.
MOLASSES DATE BARS
1 cup sifted enriched flour ½ teaspoon salt ⅓ teaspoon soda 1 egg, beaten ½ cup sugar ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ¼ cup shortening, melted ½ teaspoon vanilla ⅔ cup chopped nuts 7-oz. pkg. pitted dates, chopped fine
Heat oven to 350° F. (moderate). Sift together first three ingredients. Combine egg, sugar, molasses, shortening, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, nuts, and dates. Pour into a 9x9x2-inch pan, lined with waxed paper, greased and lightly floured. Bake 40 minutes or until done. Turn out onto wire cooler; remove paper. When cold, cut into 32 bars. Roll in confectioners’ sugar, if desired. YIELD: 32 bars.
16
REFRIGERATOR GINGER COOKIES
2½ cups sifted enriched flour 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup shortening ½ cup GRANDMA’S MOLASSES ½ cup sugar 1 egg ¾ cup chopped nuts (optional)
Sift together first five ingredients. Melt shortening in a saucepan large enough for mixing cookies. Stir in molasses and sugar. Beat in egg. Add nuts. Gradually add flour mixture. Form dough into 2 rolls, 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper. Chill overnight or until ready to bake. Slice ⅛ inch thick. Bake on greased cooky sheets 10 minutes or until cookies have lightly browned in moderate oven (375° F.). Cool. Store in a tightly closed tin box.
YIELD: 5 dozen cookies.
Raisin Cookies: Replace nuts with chopped raisins.