Betty Crocker picture cooky book

HOW TO MAKE ROLLED COOKIES (preliminary steps on pp. 14-15)

Short cut: instead of rolling it, drop dough and flatten with glass. See page 40.

★ SUGAR COOKIES ( Recipe)

Crispy, thin, flavorful.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• 1½ cup soft shortening (half butter)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg

Stir in ...

• 1 tbsp. milk or cream
• 1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla or lemon or a combination of the two)

Sift together and stir in ...

• 1¼ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ¼ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt

Chill dough. Roll very thin (¹⁄₁₆″). Cut into desired shapes. Place on lightly greased baking sheet, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until delicately browned.

TEMPERATURE: 425° (hot oven).

TIME: Bake 5 to 7 min.

AMOUNT: About 5 doz. 2½″ cookies.

LEMON SUGAR COOKIES

Follow recipe above—except in place of vanilla, use 2 tsp. grated lemon rind and 1 tsp. lemon juice.

NUT SUGAR COOKIES

Follow recipe above—and mix into the dough 1 cup finely chopped nuts.

★ RICH SUGAR COOKIES

Extra tender ... a flavor favorite!

Follow recipe above—except use ½ cup sugar in place of ¾ cup. Use 1 tsp. cream of tartar and ½ tsp. soda in place of the baking powder.

CARAWAY COOKIES

Follow recipe above—except omit vanilla, sift ½ tsp. nutmeg with the dry ingredients, and mix 1 tsp. caraway seeds into the dough.

CHOCOLATE PINWHEELS

Follow recipe above or recipe for Rich Sugar Cookies. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. Into 1 part, blend 1 sq. unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.), melted and cooled. Chill. Roll out white dough 9″ × 12″. Roll out chocolate dough same size and lay on top of white dough. Roll the double layer of dough gently until ³⁄₁₆″ thick. Roll up tightly, beginning at wide side, into a roll 12″ long and 2″ in diameter. Chill. Slice ⅛″ thick. Place slices a little apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake.

TEMPERATURE: 350° (mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 10 to 12 min.

AMOUNT: About 5 doz. 2″ cookies.

BUTTER COOKIES ( Recipe) Crisp, with the true buttery flavor, but not sweet.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• 1 cup soft butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg

Stir in ...

• 3 tsp. flavoring (vanilla, lemon, etc.)

Sift together and stir in ...

• 3 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• almond or pecan halves

Chill dough. Roll very thin (¹⁄₁₆″). Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Press blanched almond or pecan half into top of each cooky. If glazed cooky is desired, brush mixture of 1 egg yolk and 2 tbsp. water over top of cookies before baking. Bake until they are delicately browned.

TEMPERATURE: 425° (hot oven).

TIME: Bake 5 to 7 min.

AMOUNT: About 7 doz. 2″ cookies.

COOKIES FOR PARTIES Delightful for all sorts of special occasions.

Follow recipe for Sugar Cookies above, or recipe for Butter Cookies above. Cut and decorate cookies for special occasions as follows:

HEART COOKIES

For special Valentines.

Cut with heart-shaped cutter. Brush lightly with a little beaten egg white. Then sprinkle with red sugar. Bake.

Cut round cookies. Place a tiny red candy heart in center of each. Bake.

Cut dough with two heart-shaped cutters, one smaller than the other. Lay a smaller heart on each of the larger ones and bake each pair as one cooky. When baked, ice the smaller heart with red or pink icing.

CHERRY AND HATCHET COOKIES

For George Washington’s Birthday.

Cut small round cherries from red candied cherries and stick them on baked cookies in sprays of three, with little stems and leaves of green citron.

Cut cookies with hatchet-shaped cooky cutter. Or stick little candy hatchets on cookies.

PLACE CARDS OR FAVORS

For children’s parties.

Roll dough ⅛″ thick. Cut into 2″ × 3″ oblong shapes. Bake. When cookies are cool, write names on them with melted chocolate or colored icing.

FLOWER COOKIES

For Easter, spring and summer parties.

Color dough pink or yellow. Cut cookies with little scalloped cutters, for petal effect. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with pink or yellow sugar before baking. Bits of candied orange peel or yellow gum drops may be used for yellow centers.

Make flower and rosette shapes by forcing the dough through a cooky press.

DECORATING ICING

Into 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, stir just enough water (about 1 tbsp.) to make icing easy to force through pastry tube—yet hold its shape. Tint if desired with a few drops of food coloring. (Pile into pastry tube and squeeze.)

COOKIES WITH FACES

For Hallowe’en.

Follow recipe for soft molasses cookies such as Gingies on page 34. Tint the Decorating Icing (above) orange. Then force it through a pastry tube or paper cornucopia to make faces with eyes, nose, mouth, and hair.

FILLED COOKIES ( Recipe) Tender, creamy white turnovers hold luscious fillings.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• ½ cup soft shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Stir in ...

• 2 tbsp. thick cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and stir in ...

• 2½ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ¼ tsp. soda
• ½ tsp. salt

Chill dough. Roll very thin (¹⁄₁₆″). Cut 3″ rounds or squares. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Place a rounded teaspoonful of desired cooled filling (below) on each. Fold over like a turnover, pressing edges together with floured tines of a fork or tip of finger. Bake until delicately browned.

TEMPERATURE: 400° (mod. hot oven).

TIME: Bake 8 to 10 min.

AMOUNT: About 6 doz. 3″ cookies.

FILLED COOKIES IN FANCY SHAPES

Follow recipe above—but cut dough with scalloped round cooky cutter or with heart, diamond, or 2½″ cutter of any desired shape, cutting 2 alike for each filled cooky. To give a decorative effect, cut the center out of the top cooky with a tiny cutter of heart, star, or scalloped round shape. Place the bottom pieces on lightly greased baking sheet. Spread desired filling (see below) on each ... covering up to edge. Place on the top pieces. Press edges together.

AMOUNT: 4 doz. 2½″ filled cookies.

POINSETTIAS

A smart new favorite for the holidays.

Follow recipe above—and roll chilled dough ⅛″ thick. Cut in 3″ squares. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Cut with sharp knife from corners of each square almost to center (making 4 triangular sections in each square). In center, place 1 teaspoonful cooled Prune Filling (above). Pick up corresponding corner of each triangular section, and fold over center filling. Press gently in center to hold 4 points together.

(See diagrams below.)

AMOUNT: About 5 doz. poinsettia cookies.

FIG BARS

Plump with fruity filling.

Follow recipe above—and roll one half of dough ⅛″ thick. Cut into 4 long strips (3½″ × 12″). Spread ⅓ to ½ cup Fig Filling (below) on each strip lengthwise, covering only ½ of strip except for a ¼″ edge. Lift this edge up and stick it to filling. Quickly flop the uncovered half of strip over the filling, folding it under at edge. Seal the 2 edges together securely. With sharp knife, cut into bars 2″ long. Place 1″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

AMOUNT: 2 doz. 2″ bars.

RAISIN, FIG, AND DATE FILLING

Mix together in saucepan ...

• ½ cup raisins, finely cut up
• ½ cup figs, finely cut up
• ½ cup dates, finely cut up
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5 min.). Cool.

AMOUNT: Filling for 4 doz. filled cookies.

RAISIN, FIG, OR DATE FILLING

In recipe above for Raisin, Fig, and Date Filling, use 1½ cups raisins, or figs, or dates ... in place of the combination of the three.

PINEAPPLE FILLING

Mix together in saucepan ...

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp. GOLD MEDAL Flour

Stir in ...

• 1½ cups well drained crushed pineapple (no. 2 can)
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. butter
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• ¾ cup pineapple juice

Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened (5 to 10 min.). Cool.

AMOUNT: Filling for 4 doz. filled cookies.

PRUNE FILLING

Mix together in saucepan ...

• 1⅓ cups mashed cooked prunes (2 cups uncooked)
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 4 min.).

AMOUNT: Fills 5 doz. Poinsettias (p. 32).

★ HIS MOTHER’S OATMEAL COOKIES

Mix together ...

• 2 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 3 cups rolled oats

Cut in until mixture is well blended ...

• 1 cup shortening (part butter)

Stir in ...

• 1 tsp. soda dissolved in ⅓ cup milk (sweet or sour)
• 1½ cups brown sugar

Chill dough. Roll out ⅛″ thick. Cut into desired shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned. When cool, and just before serving, put together in pairs with jelly or jam between.

TEMPERATURE: 375° (quick mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 10 to 12 min.

AMOUNT: About 4 doz. 2½″ double cookies.

★ GINGIES ( Recipe) Soft and puffy ... true old-fashioned ginger cookies.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• ⅓ cup soft shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1½ cups black molasses

Stir in ...

• ½ cup cold water

Sift together and stir in ...

• 6 cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Stir in ...

• 2 tsp. soda dissolved in 3 tbsp. cold water

Chill dough. Roll out very thick (½″). Cut with 2½″ round cutter. Place far apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until, when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains.

TEMPERATURE: 350° (mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 15 to 18 min.

AMOUNT: 2⅔ doz. fat, puffy 2½″ cookies.

FROSTED GINGIES

Follow recipe above—and frost when cool with Simple White Icing (recipe below).

SIMPLE WHITE ICING

Blend together 1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar, ¼ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. vanilla, and enough milk or water to make easy to spread (about 1½ tbsp.). Part of icing may be colored by adding a drop or two of food coloring.

GINGERBREAD BOYS

Make holidays gayer than ever.

Follow recipe above—and mix in 1 more cup sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour. Chill dough. Roll out very thick (½″). Grease cardboard gingerbread boy pattern, place on the dough, and cut around it with a sharp knife. Or use a gingerbread boy cutter. With a pancake turner, carefully transfer gingerbread boys to lightly greased baking sheet. Press raisins into dough for eyes, nose, mouth, and shoe and cuff buttons. Use bits of candied cherries or red gum drops for coat buttons; strips of citron for tie. Bake. Cool slightly, then carefully remove from baking sheet. With white icing, make outlines for collar, cuffs, belt, and shoes.

AMOUNT: About 12 Gingerbread Boys.

★ STONE JAR MOLASSES COOKIES

Crisp and brown ... without a bit of sugar.

Heat to boiling point ...

• 1 cup molasses

Remove from heat

Stir ...

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 tsp. soda

Sift together and stir in ...

• 2¼ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• 1¾ tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1½ tsp. ginger

Chill dough. Roll out very thin (¹⁄₁₆″). Cut into desired shapes. Bake until, when touched lightly, no imprint remains. (Over-baking gives a bitter taste.)

TEMPERATURE: 350° (mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 5 to 7 min.

AMOUNT: About 6 doz. 2½″ cookies.

PATTERN FOR GINGER BREAD BOY

Trace on tissue paper. Then cut pattern from cardboard. Place greased pattern on dough. Cut around it with a sharp knife. Other cooky patterns can be made in same way.

To make “dancing” Gingerbread boys ... bend the legs and arms into “action” positions when you place them on baking sheet (as shown in small figures above).

Packing cookies successfully for mailing

1 Select heavy box, lined with waxed paper. Use plenty of filler (crushed wrapping or tissue paper, or unbuttered popcorn or Cheerios).

2 Wrap each cooky separately ... in waxed paper. Or place cookies back-to-back in pairs ... then wrap each pair.

3 Pad bottom of box with filler. Fit wrapped cookies into box closely, in layers.

4 Use filler between layers to prevent crushing of cookies.

5 Cover with paper doily, add card, and pad top with crushed paper. Pack tightly so contents will not shake around.

6 Wrap box tightly with heavy paper and cord. Address plainly with permanent ink ... covering address with Scotch tape or colorless nail polish. Mark the box plainly: “PERISHABLE.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS COOKIES ( Recipe)

Soft, cushiony cookies, dark or light.

DARK DOUGH.... For animal shapes, toy shapes, and boy and girl figures.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• ⅓ cup soft shortening
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup molasses

Sift together and stir in ...

• 2¾ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• 1 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ginger

Chill dough. Roll out thick (¼″). Cut into desired shapes. Place 1″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until, when touched lightly with finger, no imprint remains. When cool, ice and decorate as desired.

TEMPERATURE: 375° (quick mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 8 to 10 min.

AMOUNT: About 5 doz. 2½″ cookies.

LIGHT DOUGH

For bells, stockings, stars, wreaths, etc.

Follow recipe for Dark Dough above except substitute honey for molasses, and granulated sugar for brown. Use 1 tsp. vanilla in place of cinnamon and ginger.

TO HANG ON CHRISTMAS TREE

Just loop a piece of green string and press ends into the dough at the top of each cooky before baking. Bake with string-side down on pan.

TO DECORATE

Use recipe for Decorating Icing (p. 31) (thin the icing for spreading). For decorating ideas, see picture on preceding page. Sugar in coarse granules for decorating is available at bakery supply houses.

STARS

Cover with white icing. Sprinkle with sky blue sugar.

WREATHS

Cut with scalloped cutter ... using smaller cutter for center. Cover with white icing. Sprinkle with green sugar and decorate with clusters of berries made of red icing—leaves of green icing—to give the realistic effect of holly wreaths.

BELLS

Outline with red icing. Make clapper of red icing. (A favorite with children.)

STOCKINGS

Sprinkle colored sugar on toes and heels before baking. Or mark heels and toes of baked cookies with icing of some contrasting color.

CHRISTMAS TREES

Spread with white icing ... then sprinkle with green sugar. Decorate with silver dragées and tiny colored candies.

TOYS

(Drum, car, jack-in-the-box, etc.): Outline shapes with white or colored icing.

ANIMALS

(Reindeer, camel, dog, kitten, etc.): Pipe icing on animals to give effect of bridles, blankets, etc.

BOYS AND GIRLS

Pipe figures with an icing to give desired effects: eyes, noses, buttons, etc.

LEBKUCHEN ( Recipe)

The famous old-time German Christmas Honey Cakes.

Mix together and bring to a boil ...

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup molasses

Cool thoroughly

Stir in ...

• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Sift together and stir in ...

• 2¾ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ½ tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. cloves
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix in ...

• ⅓ cup cut-up citron
• ⅓ cup chopped nuts

Chill dough overnight. Roll small amount at a time, keeping rest chilled. Roll out ¼″ thick and cut into oblongs 1½ × 2½″. Place one inch apart on greased baking sheet. Bake until when touched lightly no imprint remains. While cookies bake, make Glazing Icing (recipe below). Brush it over cookies the minute they are out of oven. Then quickly remove from baking sheet. Cool and store to mellow.

TEMPERATURE: 400° (mod. hot oven).

TIME: Bake 10 to 12 min.

AMOUNT: About 6 doz. 2″ × 3″ cookies.

GLAZING ICING

Boil together 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water until first indication of a thread appears (230°). Remove from heat. Stir in ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar and brush hot icing thinly over cookies. (When icing gets sugary, reheat slightly, adding a little water until clear again.)

★ NURNBERGER

Follow recipe above—except in place of honey and molasses use 1 cup honey; and reduce spices (using ¼ tsp. cloves, ½ tsp. allspice, and ½ tsp. nutmeg ... with 1 tsp. cinnamon).

Roll out the chilled dough ¼″ thick. Cut into 2″ rounds. Place on greased baking sheet. With fingers, round up cookies a bit toward center. Press in blanched almond halves around the edge like petals of a daisy. Use a round piece of citron for each center. Bake just until set. Immediately brush with Glazing Icing (above). Remove from baking sheet. Cool, and store to mellow.

AMOUNT: About 6 doz. 2½″ cookies.

TO “MELLOW” COOKIES

ZUCKER HÜTCHEN (Little Sugar Hats)

Mix together thoroughly ...

• 6 tbsp. soft butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk

Stir in ...

• 2 tbsp. milk

Sift together and stir in ...

• 1⅜ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. salt

Mix in ...

• ¼ cup finely cut-up citron

Chill dough. Roll thin (⅛″). Cut into 2″ rounds. Heap 1 tsp. Meringue Frosting (recipe below) in center of each round to make it look like the crown of a hat. Place 1″ apart on greased baking sheet. Bake until delicately browned.

TEMPERATURE: 350° (mod. oven).

TIME: Bake 10 to 12 min.

AMOUNT: About 4 doz. 2″ cookies.

MERINGUE FROSTING

Beat 1 egg white until frothy. Beat in gradually 1½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat until frosting holds its shape. Stir in ½ cup finely chopped blanched almonds.

SCOTCH SHORTBREAD

Old-time delicacy from Scotland ... crisp, thick, buttery.

Mix together thoroughly ...

• 1 cup soft butter
• ⅝ cup sugar (½ cup plus 2 tbsp.)

Stir in ...

• 2½ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour

Mix thoroughly with hands. Chill dough. Roll out ⅓ to ½″ thick. Cut into fancy shapes (small leaves, ovals, squares, etc.). Flute edges if desired by pinching between fingers as for pie crust. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake. (The tops do not brown during baking ... nor does shape of the cookies change.)

TEMPERATURE: 300° (slow oven).

TIME: Bake 20 to 25 min.

AMOUNT: About 2 doz. 1″ × 1½″ cookies.

★ FINSKA KAKOR (Finnish Cakes)