Cookies…The Vintage Years « RecipeCurio.com (2024)

Now here’s something fun, a vintage article (published in 1963) about vintage cookie recipes! I’ve typed the article in full below along with a partial scan of the newspaper article (it’s huge), click to view the larger image. Lots of traditional favorite cookie recipes here!

ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Sunday, Nov. 17, 1963

COOKIES…The Vintage Years
By Elizabeth de Sylva
Democrat and Chronicle Food Editor

Fashions come and go. Styles of furniture change with the years. But when a cookie that becomes a sensation in any one year is sure to find itself as popular a decade later. Here are some of the best-liked cookies of past and present and the dates when they made their debuts.

Bonbon Cookies
Best cookie 1955-1960

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
food coloring if desired
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Fillings: candied or maraschino cherries, pitted dates, nuts or chocolate pieces
bonbon icing
Toppings: chopped nuts, coconut, colored sugar

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and food coloring. Blend flour and salt in thoroughly by hand. If dough is dry add 1 to 2 tbsp. cream.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For each cookie, wrap one level tablespoon of dough around a filling suggested above. Bake one inch apart on ungreased baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool; dip tops of cookies in white or colored icings and decorate with toppings suggested. Makes 20 to 25 cookies.

(Note: Do not use self-rising flour in this recipe.)

Molasses Crinkles
Best cookie 1930-1935

3/4 cup soft shortening
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
granulated sugar

Mix first 4 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients and add. Blend. Chill.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough in 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip tops in sugar. Place balls, sugared side up, 3 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 2 or 3 drops water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or just until set but not hard. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Holiday Fruit Drops
Best cooky 1945-1950

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup soured milk, buttermilk or water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups broken pecans
2 cups candied cherries, halved
2 cups cut-up dates

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs well. Stir in soured milk. Sift dry ingredients and stir in. Stir in pecans, cherries and dates. Chill at least one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Place a pecan half on each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Best Cookie 1935-1940)

2/3 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 package (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and blend. (For softer, more rounded cookies, use 1/4 cup more of flour.) Blend into first mixture and mix in nuts and chocolate pieces. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until delicately browned. (Cookies should still be soft.) Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. (Makes 4 to 5 dozen 2 inch cookies.)

Brownies
Best cookie 1920-1930

2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz.)
1/3 cup shortening or vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a square pan 8 by 8 by 2 inches. Melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Beat in sugar and eggs. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; blend in. Mix in nuts. Spread in pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top has dull crust and a slight imprint remains when touched lightly. Cool slightly and cut in squares.

Ginger Dreams
Best cookie 1910-1920

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and blend. Chill dough.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. (Cookies will spread during baking.) Bake about 8 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. While slightly warm frost with vanilla or lemon icing.

Hermits
Best cookie 1880-1890

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold coffee
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cinnamon (RecipeCurio Note: Cinnamon is listed twice in the article but I believe it’s a typo)
2 1/2 cups seeded raisins
1 1/4 cups broken nut meats

Mix first 3 ingredients and stir in coffee. Sift dry ingredients together and blend into shortening mixture. Mix in raisins and nuts. Chill dough at least one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Makes 7 to 8 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies.

Cinnamon Jumbles
Best cookie 1890-1900

1/2 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder (see comment below that suggests baking soda instead)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix shortening, 1 cup sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda and salt and blend in first mixture. Chill dough.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set, but not brown. Makes about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies.

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Cookies…The Vintage Years «  RecipeCurio.com (2024)

FAQs

How old is the first cookie? ›

Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.

Why should you age cookie dough? ›

Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. The longer you chill the dough, the more flavor will develop. The flour will also absorb more of the moisture so the thicker and chewier the final texture will be.

How come my cookies are hard? ›

Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly. The lack of moisture makes the cookies hard and dry, which makes them difficult to enjoy.

How to bake cookies store bought? ›

HEAT oven to 350°F (or 325°F for nonstick cookie sheet). PLACE cookie dough rounds about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. BAKE 10 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. COOL 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet.

Is cookie male or female? ›

This adorable gender-neutral name has Latin, English, Dutch, and modern roots, all revolving around cooking and baking. The traditional Latin and English meaning of Cookie is "cook," perfect if you want to raise a little future chef.

What is the oldest cookie? ›

Pizzelles are the oldest known cookie and originated in the mid-section of Italy. They were made many years ago for the “Festival of the Snakes” also known as the “Feast Day of San Domenico”.

How long should you refrigerate cookie dough before baking? ›

As a general rule of thumb, you should refrigerate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. More than that, and you won't see a noticeable difference in the final product. Once the dough has chilled, let it warm up at room temperature until it's just pliable (about 5 to 10 minutes).

Can you eat year old cookie dough? ›

To stay on the safe side, it is probably not highly recommended that you eat expired cookie dough, however you can eat it up to 1 or 2 months past it's best by date, if you ensure that you have stored it properly.

Can I chill cookie dough in the freezer? ›

That's right, you can freeze it for a bit to shave quite a bit of time off the chilling suggestion in the recipe. Here's what our Test Kitchen recommends when quickly chilling cookie dough in the freezer: Place the cookie dough in the freezer for one-quarter of the recommended refrigerator time.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Cornstarch Is The Secret To Soft And Chewy Cookies.

What does cornstarch do in cookies? ›

As Levy Beranbaum writes in The Baking Bible, replacing a little bit of the flour in the dough with cornstarch results in “a more delicate cookie that is also easier to pipe or push through a cookie press.” Adding cornstarch helps tenderize tough gluten, contributing to a softer cookie dough with a finer crumb after ...

Should I use baking powder or baking soda for cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What is the golden rule in baking cookies? ›

Get Your Flour Power on

This is the most important tip when it comes to knowing how to bake cookies. You MUST measure the flour correctly. Adding too much flour will make your cookies tough and dry. In fact, you should reduce the flour by 1/4 cup!

Do you bake cookies on greased or ungreased pan? ›

It turns out MOST cookies turn out far more reliably when baked on parchment and without grease on the pan. There are two ways in which a greased pan may negatively affect your cookies: 1. The additional fats are likely to seep into your cookie and cause more spreading and less rise than desired.

Should cookies be baked from top or bottom? ›

Cookies should be baked on the center oven rack for even heating and air circulation. As a best practice, is it recommended to rotate the cookie sheet or sheets roughly halfway, or shortly thereafter, through the baking time, if needed.

What is max age cookie 0? ›

A value of 0 means the cookie should expire immediately. A negative value results in no "Max-Age" attribute in which case the cookie is removed when the browser is closed.

How old is the Oreo cookie? ›

The first Oreo was sold on March 6, 1912, to a grocer in Hoboken, New Jersey. The Oreo Biscuit was renamed in 1921 to "Oreo Sandwich"; in 1948, the name was changed to "Oreo Crème Sandwich"; and in 1974 it became the "Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie", the name that has remained to this day.

How old is the fortune cookie? ›

The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear, though various immigrant groups in California claim to have popularized them in the early 20th century. They most likely originated from cookies made by Japanese immigrants to the United States in the late 19th or early 20th century.

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