MOLASSES ICE BOX COOKIES

When Brer Rabbit’s Modern Recipes for the Modern Hostess was published, the kitchen as we know it today was still in the process of being born. Some women, like my Grandma Ina, were still cooking on a wood stove. And many young housewives with electric stoves, like my mother, remembered what it was like to cook on a wood stove. Not everyone had an electric mixer, and even if you did, it probably wasn’t powerful. And some kitchens still had an ice box instead of a refrigerator. The wording of this recipe for “Molasses Ice Box Cookies” reminded me of all this.

½ cup Brer Rabbit Molasses

½ cup shortening

½ cup sugar

1 egg

2 ½ cups flour

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp soda

¼ tsp cloves

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

Put molasses and shortening in large saucepan. Stir over low heat until shortening has melted. Remove from fire; stir in sugar. Cool. Add unbeaten egg; stir. Sift remaining ingredients together and add to first mixture. Form dough into rolls about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in waxed paper and chill 3 to 4 hours. Slice thin and bake on well-greased baking sheet in moderate oven (375 F) 10 to 15 minutes.

I was very careful as I melted the shortening in the molasses, keeping the temperature at the simmer setting. Once I removed the mixture from the heat, I immediately added the sugar. Then I was distracted over the noon hour, and the mixture cooled too much. I probably should have re-heated it, but despite its stiffness, I managed to stir in the egg. Then, like a good girl, I sifted the dry ingredients before adding them to the molasses mixture in the big pan. I was tempted to use the mixer at this point, but I stirred by hand until it was well-blended. I then made two logs of the dough, wrapped them in waxed paper, and put them in the fridge for about three hours. We had plans for the evening, but I had time to bake the cookies before supper.

Now, I can’t slice straight or with uniformity to save my soul, but I tried my best. The recipe said “slice thinly” – not very specific. And I was skeptical of that 375 oven. So, I sliced my first tray at about 1/8 inch and baked at 375 for 8 minutes (instead of 10-12), and the cookies came out just short of scorched. Feeling bolder, I sliced the next tray thicker (1/4 inch), cut the heat to 350, and baked again for 8 minutes. Perfect! These cookies don’t spread much, so I crowded them onto the tray to save baking time.

I think we like them. I would try the recipe again and use the mixer. KW

[That evening we went to see Darkest Hour and enjoyed it. There were 14 of us in the theater, and I would guess most of us were 70+.]