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Sunday, December 6, 2009

ICE BOX NUT COOKIES



I love pre-Christmas on the "web." More specifically I will sign up for email from any advertiser offering a daily dose of Christmas cookie recipes. "Why do you get all this spam?" asked Grandson Jack. "Because I sign up for stuff," I answered, to which he responded with a knowing nod.

But perhaps nothing is as much fun as a vintage "find." Here's a recipe I found tucked into the top of Grandma Ina's recipe box, written by one of her daughters, I think. It's not really a Christmas cookie recipe, I suppose, but I figure any cookie can be a Christmas Cookie. It seems as Christmas-like as many of those I receive in my email.

The original recipe reads as follows:

¾ cup fat (scant) – I used ¾ cup Crisco

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 ½ cups flour

1 tsp soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup nut meats

Cream fat, add sugar gradually, eggs slightly beaten, vanilla, and flour sifted with soda and salt. Stir in chopped nuts. Work smooth, pack into a buttered pan and set in ice box or any cold place overnight. Slice thin and bake in oven at 400 degrees till brown. You'll find 3 cups of ordinary flour too much but dough must be very stiff or it will be too rich.

I followed the method as specified, using my stand mixer to mix all ingredients. I don't know what "too rich" in the last sentence means, but I worked in all the flour. I packed the dough into a baking dish approximately 9x13, but another time I might use a bread pan so that the cookies are of bigger dimensions. I notice Mike takes them two at a time.

And – after burning the first tray to a crisp, I cut the heat to 375 and baked the cookies 6 to 7 minutes. I did find that they burn quickly, probably because of the high sugar content.

The next time I'll use butter for the fat and two teaspoons of vanilla. KW

5 comments:

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  2. Lucky Dad. Coincidentally, I made peanut butter cookies with Hershey kisses today for a Christmas party at work tomorrow. I almost never bake cookies and it was more work than expected - but think they came out well. 6 dozen.

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  3. Hi Murray! Those peanut butter cookies are Hallie's favorite. We used to make them often.

    Yes, cookies are labor-intensive. When I was a youngster, I used to be put out with my dad when he'd bake cookies, then require that I clean up the mess. I used to think, "If I'd wanted to clean up the kitchen, I'd have baked the cookies myself. I am learning to use parchment paper on the baking sheets which does facilitate clean-up.

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  4. Mmm! Yes, I LOVE peanut butter kiss cookies. I prepare the kisses a dozen at a time while the cookies are baking. It keeps me busy the entire time. You do need a nap after all that work.

    Mom: random thought. Did Uncle Irl/Earl get married and have kids? Are there any other Dobsons today?

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  5. LOL -- from cookies to family history? That is random!

    Irl/Earl/Earle married Bernice Dryden of Peck. They did not have children. There were just five grandchildren from the six children, and I was the only grandchild with the surname Dobson. I had only one male cousin -- Stanley Sanders.

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