24 July 2011

Family recipe Monday: small and light


It's really not the right time of year to think about heat in the kitchen. Or anywhere else. The stellar pioneer girls among us are sterilizing the canning equipment and getting ready to put up the fresh fruit and vegetables that are finally starting to show up after a cold, wet spring. The less-than-stellar pioneer girls among us are thinking that fresh peaches beat peach cobbler any old day right now, and can be improved only if they are in ice cream. Yeah, July is heating up and we are staring down the barrel of August, and trying to make enough iced tea to survive to September. We'll think about canning tomorrow, once we get off our fainting couch.   

Here are a few older cookie recipes, good for baking quickly and cooling thoroughly before eating. 

Melt in the mouth cookies 

Sift
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Cut in 
1 stick butter or margarine

Add
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Drop by scant teaspoons (onto baking sheet). Bake at 400* F. Then hide.
--The Hess Family, who presumably hid the cookies, not themselves


Molasses cookies

1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon (baking) soda in 1/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup melted Spry (or oil)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon (baking) soda
Approximately 2 1/2 cups flour or until enough.

Cook in 375* F oven for 7-8 minutes.
--Louise Hastings

Note: you are not going to find Spry any more, except in Cyprus, apparently. Too bad: it was a classic advertising campaign. Use the shortening of your choice. Mix everything in the order given. These can be either rolled and cut or dropped, depending on your preference.


Oatmeal cookies

Mix together
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats

Cut in 1 cup shortening or butter until well blended.

Stir in
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/3 cup milk (sweet or sour)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Chill. Roll 1/8" thick. Cut out. Place (on) unreleased sheet. Bake 375* F 10-12 minutes. When cool, put together with jelly or jam.
--Dolly Hess

Those would go well with a nice sorbet, right? Happy Monday.

Aunt Jenny needs something stronger than milk, I think. 


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