Cooking Plain, Illinois Country Style

Cookies

Cookies Hickory Nut Cookies Hickory nut trees grew in abundance throughout southern Illinois when the first settlers came. The fine-textured hard wood was coveted for tool handles and farm machinery, with resulting scarcity of these sweet, delicately flavored nuts. When my father cleared land for his home he left 22 hickory trees standing near the house. We harvested all of the large shagbarks for use through the winter. 1 cup butter 1¥z cups sugar 3 eggs, beaten until foamy % cup molasses 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted % teaspoon cinnamon % teaspoon cloves¥4 teaspoon allspice % teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1¥z cups raisins, chopped coarsely % to %cup hickory-nut meats, chopped coarsely Cream butter and add sugar gradually, beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. Sift flour, spices, salt, and soda together and stir into butter mixture. Blend thoroughly_ Fold in raisins and nuts. If necessary, add a little more flour to make a firm dough. Roll to % inch thickness on lightly floured board and cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 3500 for 10 minutes. Can be stored in airtight containers . Yield: About 4 dozen cookies. Aunt Kate Dingman's Animal Cookies From my husband's great-aunt, date mid-1800s. Children love these now as they did then. 2 cups sugar 1 cup butter or '% cup lard 177 178 Cooking Plain 2 eggs 1 cup sour milk 1 teaspoon soda 3 cups all.purpose flour (approximately) 2 teaspoons bakIng powder 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond, or lemon extract. Cream sugar and shortening thoroughly. Beat in eggs one at a time. Dissolve soda in sour milk. Sift flour with baking powder. Add milk and flour to sugar-egg mixture in thirds, beating well after each addition. Stir in flavoring. Chill dough until it can be handled easily. Divide into 3 portions. Roll each portion out on lightly floured board to VB inch thickness and cut into animal shapes with cookie cutter. Place carefully on greased sheet with spatula and bake at 3750 for 8 to 10 minutes, or until delicately browned. Leave on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes to harden, then remove carefully with spatula. Cookies may be decorated with Butter Icing, if desired (see section, "Cakes"). Yield: 4 to 6 dozen, depending on size of cookie cutters used. Aunt Julia's Macaroons I found this recipe among the collection of another aunt of my husband's. A memento of those pleasant days of long ago when ladies entertained at afternoon tea. 2 egg whites 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups powdered sugar. sifted Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup grated coconut (approximately) Beat egg whites until foamy. Sift sugar with flour and salt and add to egg whites gradually, beating constantly. Fold in vanilla and coconut . Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased and well-floured cookie sheet. Bake in a slow oven, 3000 for about 20 minutes. They should be firm but not browned. Let stand on baking sheet for a few minutes before re'moving carefully with a spatula. Yield: About 3 dozen. Applesauce-Nut Cookies These all-around cookies were to past generations what the chocolate chip cookies are to kids of today. They improve with age (if they Cookies 179 last any length of time) and are great for the school lunch pail or basket, if there are such things any more. 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted % teaspoon salt % teaspoon cinnamon % teaspoon nutmeg % teaspoon allspice 1 cup chopped hickory nuts or pecans 1 cup chopped raisins % cup lard or % cup plus 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup applesauce 1 egg, well beaten Sift flour, salt, and spices together. Mix with nuts and raisins and set aside. Cream shortening until fluffy, add sugar gradually, and continue creaming until very light. Stir soda into apple sauce and combine with creamed mixture. Add beaten egg. Blend in flour-nut-raisin mixture . Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350". Yield: 4 dozen. German Honey Cakes A contribution of those good cooks, the German ladies who came with their families to southern llIinois during the early and mid-1800s. These are a bit tricky. (If noncommercially prepared honey is used, it should be well aged-at least 6 months to a year old...