Tag: Cookies

Applesauce Gems

Applesauce Gems

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A Recipe from The Art of Making Good Cookies Plain and Fancy (1963)

About the Recipe

Are you drowning in apples from a beautiful day apple picking? Are you looking for the perfect autumn cookie to bring to your next bake sale? Do you have little patience for complex cookie recipes? Have I got a cookie for you.

This was a super simple, and wonderfully delicious recipe. And turns out – it’s totally vegan and allergen free!

A few quick notes to ensure that these come out great:

  • I decided to make a quick applesauce when I had an abundance of apples and none in my pantry. If you decide to do the same (highly recommended), use a flavorful apple (honeycrisp, pink lady, a mix of red delicious and granny smith if you must go basic), a pinch of salt, and about a tablespoon of sugar. There’s a ton of flavor that will come from the rest of the cookie, and you can always add additional spice to your sauce later.
  • I used a tablespoon sized cookie scoop and got almost exactly 5 dozen cookies.
  • I went with mixed raisins for this one, but I can definitely see how some candied orange peel or even currants or craisins would have done well in this recipe.
  • As always, substituting softened butter for your shortening will do fine in this recipe. Use a 1:1 ratio.
  • Substituting a pie spice mix for the same amount of nutmeg and cinnamon (2 teaspoons total) will add some richness and variation.

As this book notes, this is a fairly plain, but utterly delicious cookie. Well worth the bake this time of year.

About the book

This is a brand new book to my library, and gosh I just can’t wait to dig into it again. It’s literally a mid-century cookie primer. It has some truly interesting and different recipes. And I love all of the little diagrams, tips, and tricks designed to help an amateur baker make a successful cookie. I’ll share more when this book comes back around.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup cold coffee
1 cup applesauce
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 cup light seedless raisins or candied diced fruit
1 cup currants or dark seedless raisins

Directions:

Cream shortening and sugar well. Add coffee and applesauce. Sift together dry ingredients and blend in, adding fruits last. Bake on lightly greased baking sheet at 375*F about 10 minutes (I baked mine for about 13) To keep soft, store in airtight container. 5 dozen

Cocoa Meringues

Cocoa Meringues

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A Recipe from Hershey’s Recipes (1949)

About the Recipe

As soon as this little advertising booklet arrived in the mail, I started reading it through. I’m not a big chocolate person, but I did grow up just outside of Hershey. As a result, I’m discerning in what chocolate recipes I’ll consider making. As soon as I saw the cocoa meringues, I knew it was one I wanted to try.

Vinegar does a ton of leg work in stabilizing generally delicate meringues. It’s one of the “family secrets” that people pass down from when grandma taught them how to make a good meringue. I was so excited to see it as part of this recipe. Hershey’s clearly wants you to be successful. I also did some quick research on what “Hershey’s Breakfast Cocoa” actually was. Long story short – it’s unsweetened cocoa powder. Grab whatever you have available, as long as it’s not hot cocoa mix.

Check out the video for some additional tips and tricks!

About the book

These little advertising booklets always get me. The recipes are usually so good (they want you to buy more, after all). Having grown up just outside of Hershey, I couldn’t resist snapping this one up when I saw it. There are a few Hershey’s booklets out there, as well as some reprints and updates. Beware the one from the 1970’s! It comes with that “low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt” mentality which just breaks so many of these amazing recipes.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 Tablespoon vinegar
3 1/2 Tablespoons Hershey’s Breakfast Cocoa (any unsweetened cocoa powder will work here)

Directions:

Beat egg whites until very stiff. Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add vanilla and vinegar, continuing the beating. Then beat for 5 minutes.

Stir in cocoa.

Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased baking sheet which has been covered with waxed paper. Bake in a very slow oven (275 degrees F.) for 1/2 hour or until dry.

Makes about 3 dozen.

The Video!

Enjoy this step-by-step video chock full of tips and tricks to make your meringue cookies come out magnificently!

Soft Molasses Cookies

Soft Molasses Cookies

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A Recipe from Hamilton Beach Food Mixer Instructions and Tested Recipes (1948)

About the Recipe

On a bright Mother’s Day morning, I was in a rush to get something in the oven. We were already starting to run late to a picnic and I wanted something easy to make and bring. This little Hamilton Beach booklet was sitting so invitingly on my counter, and something about a molasses cookie felt like exactly the right choice.

This recipe is designed to be made fully in your mixer – one bowl, one paddle, done! While usually I like to be a little more process oriented and precise, I decided to trust the process. The combination of buttermilk and baking soda created a fluffy, cake-like cookie. I substituted real maple syrup for the molasses without a problem. If you’re a ginger cookie fan, this easy recipe should suit you fine.

About the book

The Hamilton Beach booklet came from a close friend who saw it and grabbed it for me. It originally came with the Hamilton Beach Food Mixer and was created in collaboration with the College of Home Economics at Syracuse University. The goal, of course, being – use your mixer! I’ll let the rest of the booklet speak for itself…

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t ginger
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed firmly
1 egg, unbeaten
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening, soft

Directions:

*A quick note from your author: I’ve simplified this recipe for a modern mixer. Please see the image above (or message me) if you’d like the original

Preliminary: Preheat oven to baking temperature (350 degrees F). Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Sift into your mixer bowl flour, [baking] soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Add in the rest of the ingredients (brown sugar, egg, molasses, buttermilk, and shortening). Beat at speed 3 for 3 minutes. Thoroughly mix all ingredients. Stop beater.

Baking: Drop by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

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A Recipe from Good Housekeeping’s Book of Cookies (1958)

About the Recipe

My team at work gathered together this past week. I wanted to bring something that made the meeting a little bit more sweet. This simple snickerdoodles recipe seemed just the right thing!

The combination of cream of tartar and shortening vs. baking powder and butter means that these are super crispy and airy cookies. Those who’ve read this blog for a bit know that I can get a bit nerdy about the science of it all. Baking powder, while acidic which will react with the baking soda, it also includes a basic element. Cream of tartar is pure acidity. When it comes in contact with the baking soda during baking it creates more air and bubbles in the cookies. The shortening, meanwhile, has a higher melting point than the butter. This helps the cookies to maintain those bubbles and crisp along with the shape and height. Delightful.

All of that being said, if you don’t have cream of tartar handy, you can absolutely substitute baking powder. Same with the shortening – as always, a fat is a fat is a fat is a fat. Butter will give this cookie a bit more tenderness and a hint more warmth in the flavor. Not the same, but still an absolute win.

About the book

I love the Good Housekeeping booklets. You can see some of the mid-century illustrations in my video, below. The whole book is chock full of them, and every recipe is a winner. I got these as a complete set several years ago. They’re a great go-to when I’m looking for something, but not sure quite what yet.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
2 T granulated sugar
2 t cinnamon

Directions:

Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. With electric mixer at medium speed, or “cream” (or with spoon), thoroughly mix shortening with 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs until very light and fluffy.

At low speed, or “blend,” beat in flour mixture until batter is dough-like; chill until easy to handle.

Start heating oven to 400*F. Form dough into walnut-size balls; roll in 2 T sugar and cinnamon, mixed. Place 2″ apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until done.

The Video!

For your enjoyment, a step-by-step video. This is for sure a cooking with toddlers experience. Maxx was eager to help until… he wasn’t. But there are joyful toddler sounds throughout. Enjoy!

Banana Drop Cookies

Banana Drop Cookies

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A Recipe from Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking (1959)

About the Recipe

It was a rainy day on Long Island yesterday and that means only one thing – cookie time! As with most toddlers, Maxx is obsessed with bananas, which means we buy a lot of them. We got a huge bundle the other day and they all started to go overripe at once. I thought to myself – if any book is going to have a banana cookie recipe, it’s going to be Mary Margaret McBride.

I did the drop version of these cookies. The result is light, fluffy almost mini banana breads. I didn’t think the lemon would work, but it adds just a little bit of acid and tang and actually gives the cookie some good depth. Honestly, these are 10/10 – easy to make and absolutely delicious!

About the book

Goodness me, I love this tome of a book. I’ve never had a bad recipe out of it, and it’s just so comprehensive. For more recipes from the Mary Margaret McBride collection click here.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted enriched flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (3 medium)
1/2 t lemon extract
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Confectioners’ sugar frosting

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.

Cream together shortening and sugar; and eggs, beating well. Add dry ingredients alternately with mashed bananas. Add flavoring extracts and nuts and beat thoroughly.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on greased baking sheets and bake in moderate oven (350*F) 12 to 15 minutes. While still warm, frost with thin confectioners’ sugar frosting. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies

Caramel Cream Sandwich Cookies

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A Recipe from 100 Prize-Winning Grand National Recipes from Pillsbury’s 6th Grand National $100,000 Recipe and Baking Contest (1955)

About the Recipe

I had intended to have these cookies as a fun treat with Maxx, but then everyone started trying them. And wow are they delicious. The butter cookie melts in your mouth and is complemented so perfectly by the brown butter frosting.

A few quick notes and tips on these:

  • After the initial flour amount, I added about a tablespoon at a time until I got to the dough consistency, and then I refrigerated for a solid 3 hours before actually trying to use the dough, which made it much easier to handle.
  • After the first batch of tiny, marble-shaped cookies I got a little bored and decided to make bigger ones, about the size of a cherry to start before you smoosh them. I think those worked just as well, and if you’re not sad about cutting the quantity down are certainly a way to make it go faster.
  • My oven runs a little bit cold, but I found these needed a solid 13-14 minutes in the oven, even at the smaller size.
  • Let the cookies cool before you try to frost them. This should be a given, but I tried to do some too soon and they just crumbled in my hand.

Other than that, these are perfect, just the way they are. Thanks a bunch to Helen Beckman of Mt. Vernon, Iowa for this snappy prize-winning recipe.

About the book

Out of all of my Pillsbury books, I think this might be the one I’ve cooked out of the most. There are some good, not too complicated recipes, and we haven’t yet entered the era of pre-made dough or mixes. For more Pillsbury, click the tag, or check out the Pillsbury Challenge that I did during the pandemic.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 unbeaten egg yolk
2 1/4 cups sifted flour

Browned Butter Frosting:
2 T butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
4-5 t cream

Directions:

Cream butter or margarine. Gradually add brown sugar, creaming well. Blend in egg yolk, then add flour. Stir until mixture forms a dough. Chill if necessary for handling.

Shape into balls about the size of a marble. Place on ungreased baking sheet and flatten to a 1/8″ thickness with the palm of the hand. Mark a design by pressing with fork in one direction.

Bake in slow oven (325*F) 8-10 minutes until cookies begin to brown very lightly. Remove from sheets while warm. Place flat sides of two cookies together with frosting, sandwich-style. Cookies are also delicious plain.

Browned Butter Frosting:
Brown slightly butter or margarine in saucepan. Remove from heat and blend in confectioners’ sugar. Gradually add vanilla and cream until of spreading consistency. 

Paintbrush Cookies

Paintbrush Cookies

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A Recipe from Betty Crocker’s New Boys and Girls Cookbook (1974)

About the Recipe

It was a rainy day where I live on the south shore of Long Island, and I thought, what a perfect day for baking cookies with Maxx. This recipe had 2 things going for it right off the bat: It’s right there on the page – “Remember these cookies for something to do on a rainy day” and Maxx’s two favorite things to do right now are to bake cookies and paint. The rain started; we gathered ingredients!

All in all, these are not my favorite sugar cookies (I’m just now realizing that I didn’t publish a post on my favorites, which I’ll have to amend soon…). They’re a honey cookie, really and kind of… meh. But the painting part, I absolutely love! It’s so simple I can’t believe I’ve never seen it before – egg wash paint – brilliant! It doesn’t add any taste, but the colors come out wonderfully.

Though it doesn’t seem like a lot of “paint,” it actually goes quite a long way. The effect is like watercoloring on cookies. Maxx and I used soft watercolor brushes which worked well. So much fun!

Pro-tip for those also painting with toddlers: Pick complimentary colors so that the paint doesn’t come out brown when they inevitably dip their paintbrush in every color at once.

About the book

This is one of those essential kids cookbooks to have in a collection if you collect that sort of thing. I didn’t actually start collecting kids cookbooks until I had a kid, and they’re just so darn cute! This one is kind of a celebration of the original mid-century designs, updated with a little ’70s flair.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup soft shortening
2/3 cup honey
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt

Egg Yolk Paint:
1 egg yolk
1/4 t water
food coloring

Directions:

Mix sugar, shortening, honey, egg and vanilla thoroughly in bowl. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl. Mix the dry ingredients into the shortening mixture. Chill dough 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375*F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Divide chilled dough into 3 portions. (Place 2 portions of dough in refrigerator until ready to use.)

On a lightly floured board, roll out dough with floured rolling pin. Roll to 1/4-inch thickness. (For easiest rolling, use a lightly floured cloth-covered board and rolling pin.) Cut into different shapes.

Place on prepared baking sheet. With small paintbrushes, paint designs on cookies with Egg Yolk Paint (below).

Bake 8-10 minutes. For clear colors, do not let cookies brown.

Let cookies cool about 2 minutes on a baking sheet, then cool on a wire rack.

Egg Yolk Paint:
Blend egg yolk and water well in small bowl. Divide mixture among several small custard cups. Add a few different food coloring to each cup to make bright colors. If “paint” thickens, add a few drops of water.

Bonbon Cookies

Bonbon Cookies

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A Recipe from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book (1963)

About the Recipe

It’s kind of a hectic time of year in our house, which means that I’m stressed. And when I’m stressed, I bake. I was looking for something that really felt like a treat, and anything called a Bonbon was sure to fit the bill!

While I absolutely love this cookbook, again the recipe is written fairly simply. I’ll offer a few tips for cookie making success on this one:

  • Start by creaming your butter, then adding the sugar gradually. Add the vanilla after the sugar is fully incorporated.
  • The dough was super easy to scoop and mold. I put 3 chocolate chips in each cookie. Next time, I’ll probably use baker’s chocolate or a chocolate bar to have it melt for a bit more of a gooey middle.
  • For the icing – you’ll want a flood consistency. To get there, use the recipe below and then add 1 or 2 drops of cream at a time until you get to the right texture. When you stir it, it should settle into a smooth consistency again, but not be runny. If it’s runny, you’ve gone too far.
  • Once you have the right icing consistency, hold the cookie from the bottom and dip the top straight down, then lift it straight up. Let it drip off a little bit (give it a little shake if you’d like) and then flip it right side up. If you’re using a topping over the icing, dip the wet icing right into the topping, and again flip it right side up.

This was exactly what I was looking for in a cookie treat, and they turned out so freaking pretty! I added just a little bit of blue to the icing, which looked especially nice under the silver and gold sprinkles. All in all, these were a total success and got a big thumbs up from the husband, Maxx, and my coworkers. They’re definitely going into rotation the next time someone asks me to bring dessert to the party.

About the book

The Betty Crocker Cooky Book is one of those essential cookbook collector books. It’s got a cookie recipe for every occasion and the kind of mid-century graphics that make you want to get in the kitchen and try another recipe. If you find it, grab it! You won’t be sorry.

About the plate

I don’t usually go into plates that aren’t glassware, but this one deserves a mention. The plate belonged to my husband’s Grandma Anna. They have some beautiful gold leafing on them, and serve as the perfect snack plate. We’re so happy to have them to use.

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 T vanilla
Food coloring, if desired
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 t salt
Fillings: candied or maraschino cherries, nuts, or chocolate pieces
Toppings: chopped nuts, coconut, colored sugar

Bonbon Icing:
1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 1/2 T cream
1 t vanilla
Red, green, or yellow food coloring, if desired

Directions:

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, and food coloring. Measure flour by dipping method (see notes below) or by sifting. Blend flour and salt in thoroughly by hand. If dough is dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons cream. 

Heat oven to 350*F. For each cooky, wrap 1 level teaspoonful dough around a filling suggested above. Bake 1′ apart on ungreased baking sheet 12-15 minutes, or until set but not brown. Cool; dip tops of cookies in icing. Decorate each cooky with one of the toppings suggested above. Makes 20-25 cookies.

Bonbon Icing:

Mix sugar, cream, vanilla, and food coloring (if desired). If icing is too thick, mix additional cream by the drop full in the icing until flood consistency is reached.

Notes:

How to Measure Flour by Dipping:

  1. Dip graduated measuring cups into flour sack or canister
  2. Level off with spatula or straight-edged knife. Do not tap or pack more flour into cup before leveling off.
  3. Pour flour into mixing bowl with other ingredients. Or stir flour and other dry ingredients together.
Dating Up Chocolate Brownies

Dating Up Chocolate Brownies

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A Recipe from Aunt Cora’s Book of Unusual Cakes, Cookies and Pies (1961)

About the Recipe

It’s Mother’s Day here in the United States! This week, to help celebrate, my son brought home a card. His teacher asked him what his favorite thing to do with Mommy was… and he said “make cookies.” There was no way I was going to let Mother’s Day go by this year without indulging in his favorite thing to do with me!

These are super chewy, yummy brownies. Folks in the know always say that dates are the secret to really rich, delicious brownies, but I’d never had the chance to try until now. I used a food processor to grind my dates up, and Maxx lent a hand chopping the pecans.

The recipe could survive without the nuts, though they give a really nice break to the otherwise gooey texture. The recipe calls for 15 minutes in 8″ x 8″ pans. I did the whole batch for 25 minutes in my 9″ x 13″ without any problems. We also used cocoa over chocolate squares. Quick reminder that each square was 1 oz. of chocolate when this recipe was written (they tend to be 0.5 oz. today).

About the book

Advertising cookbooks are my favorite. I love the little details put into each one that show off the product and all the ways that maybe you just didn’t think about using it! This one is for sugar, and I love the call out for the extra bit of powdered sugar on top of the brownies. It’s a very sweet little pamphlet and I’m looking forward to joining the (fictional) Aunt Cora for some cooking again.

Celebrating with my Sous Chef

I try not to make these blog posts too long, but I can’t resist a special section for this one:

Chopping the pecans all by himself!
Licking the beater is the best part
Mmm! Delicious!! (Yes, that’s my husband in the back)

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

2 squares (2 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted, or 1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dates, finely chopped
2/3 cup sifted flour
1/4 t salt
Powdered sugar

Directions:

If chocolate is used, melt over hot water and cream with shortening. If cocoa is used, it should be mixed and sifted with the flour and salt.

Cream shortening until soft; gradually add granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, pecans and dates. Work in flour and salt.

Spread in 2 buttered 8″x 8″ square layer cake pans. Bake at 375*F for 15 minutes.

Cut in squares before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or spread with a thin white frosting or Chocolate Butter Frosting.

Vodka Punch

Vodka Punch

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A Recipe from Big League Cookbook (1970)

About the Recipe

The Super Bowl just happened here in the States. As is popular, my best friend hosted a Super Bowl party with some friends, and I helped prepare some yummy additions to the meal. To start – this delightful vodka punch!

We decided early on to make this a virgin punch, and to let everyone add their own alcohol. Honestly, it was delightful as a punch on its own. It stood on good feet without ice, though chilled this would make an excellent addition to a picnic or barbecue. The kids (aged 2-16) enjoyed it as well, and most folks enjoyed seconds and thirds. It was the perfect, bright and light addition to an otherwise heavy feast. 10/10 will make again.

And just in case it’s hard to read, here’s the note from Mrs. Dick Cecil (Atlanta Braves-Chiefs Vice President) – This is a punch which really tastes good and has been a great help on many occasions. We entertained four Latin American peace officers one time who didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak Spanish. After they arrived, and I learned of the dilemma, I quickly went to the kitchen and added another bottle of vodka and we had a great time — ending the evening doing the Mexican Hat Dance!

About the book

I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to break out this cookbook. It’s basically a community cookbook, but that community is the 1970 Atlanta Braves and Chiefs (a short-lived soccer team). The Braves team includes a number of famous players and Hall-of-Famers, including Hank Aaron and Hoyt Wilhelm. The history contained in this book is enough to make any sports fan excited (including my husband, who was also super excited to find this one). With that, I’ll leave you with some photos of the book itself. This post is 1 of 2 from this book and the Super Bowl. Find more photos and the other recipe here: Buttermilk Pound Cake (To be updated soon…)

The Recipe!

Ingredients:

3 quarts unsweetened pineapple juice
8 lemons juiced
8 oranges juiced
3 limes juiced
4 quarts ginger ale
One-two quarts vodka

Directions:

Mix together, and enjoy!