Category: Cookies and cakes

Aunt Bev’s Oatmeal Cookies

When I was twelve years old, I gave my mother a recipe box for Christmas. I know this because she scratched “FROM CHARLES XMAS 1955” on the back of the box. Some of the paint has worn off, but the flowers are still cheerful and if you turn it over, you will learn that it was “MADE in U.S.A” by the Ohio Art Company.

My sister Patsy loaned me two of Mom’s recipe boxes, and they have taught me some new things about my mother. Here are three of them. First, she was an avid snipper of recipes from boxes, newspapers and magazines. Second, she collected lots of recipes from relatives, friends and neighbors. And third, she really liked cake and cookie recipes. Supporting this conclusion is the fact that the soup section of the box includes recipes for “Krunch Drops” and “Chocolate Drop Cookies.”

One of the recipes I found was headed “Bev’s Oatmeal Cookies.” Aunt Bev was my mother’s youngest sister. She and her husband live in Barron today, and she still has coffee and snacks ready when I visit.

Here is her recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies, simple to make and tasty to eat. Plus, with all that oatmeal, they are good for you. I love health foods that taste good!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T condensed milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups quick cook oatmeal
3/4 cup raisins

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 350º and grease one or two cookie sheets.

Cream together the shortening and sugars. Stir in the egg, vanilla and condensed milk until you have a smooth batter. Sift the flour, salt and baking soda by thirds into the liquid ingredients and stir thoroughly to make a soft dough.

Stir a cup of oatmeal into the dough, then add the raisins and stir to mix thoroughly. Finish by adding the second cup of oatmeal and stirring until all the ingredients are moistened and mixed evenly together. You should have a very stiff dough. If necessary, add another tablespoon of flour.

Drop rounded teaspoons of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for twelve minutes and cool them on a rack.

NOTES: This recipe makes about thirty cookies.

You can substitute whole milk, half and half or cream for the condensed milk.

These cookies are nice and chewy a few minutes after they come out of the oven, but they get crunchy if you let them sit out on a plate. If you want them to stay chewy, put them in a storage bag with a slice of bread when they are still slightly warm.

As an experiment I made a batch of these cookies using only light brown sugar and think that they have an even better flavor.

Carol’s Lemon Bread

Jerri started teaching piano when she was in high school and still has three adult students. One of the advantages of being a piano teacher is that you get some wonderful gifts from your students. Our Christmas tree means more to us because we know the history of so many of the ornaments given to her by eager hands, even by students who were sometimes a challenge. For instance:

Student: “I hate piano. And you’re not my favorite teacher.”

Jerri: “Do you think you’re my favorite student?”

Student: “No.”

Jerri: “You got that right. Now play it again.”

That little exchange cleared the air, and the young man went on to learn how to make music on the family piano.

And I’m sure that he brought a gift each Christmas to his piano teacher.

Besides ornaments, gifts included candles, soaps, handmade shirts and aprons, trivets, napkins, table decorations and…FOOD. Mothers and grandmothers shared their family holiday treats and sometimes even shared the recipes with us. Here is one of those recipes.

We got to enjoy Carol’s lemon bread for several holidays until her youngest child finished lessons. Jerri asked for the recipe so we could continue the tradition of eating this moist, rich cake-like bread without having to call and beg for it.

Carol’s recipe includes a note that it makes one large or two small loaves, but Jerri makes four mini-loaves from one batch. They make wonderful Christmas gifts.

INGREDIENTS:

6 T butter
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
One medium to large lemon

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease and flour your loaf pan or pans. Wash the lemon and use a grater or zester to remove the zest (the bright yellow outer layer of the rind) from it.

Cream the butter and one cup of sugar together in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, then the milk and lemon zest. Mix the baking powder, salt and flour together and sift by thirds into the liquid mixture. Beat the batter well and pour it into the pan(s).

Bake on a center rack until done. Depending on the size of your pans, this may take anywhere from 35 to 60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. When it comes out clean, the bread is done.

While the bread is baking, juice the lemon and mix the juice with a third cup of sugar. Pour the mixture over the bread as soon as you take it out of the oven and let the bread cool in the pan.

NOTES: Be careful not to fill the pans more than two-thirds full so you will be able to pour the juice mixture over the loaves after they have been baked.

Jerri juices the lemon before removing the zest, but do whatever you find easier.

It is difficult, but you have to let this bread cool thoroughly before cutting and eating it.