10. CLASSES OF COOKIES.--Cookies are of two general classes: those which
are made thick and are expected to be soft when they are served and
those which are made thin and are intended to be crisp and brittle when
eaten. Thin, crisp cookies are usually known as _wafers_ or _snaps_.
Soft cookies are made from a dough that contains a little more liquid
than that used for brittle cookies. The dough of which both varieties
are made should be thick enough to remove from the mixing bowl in a lump
and roll out on a board. After being rolled until it is the desired
thickness, it is cut into pieces of any desired size and shape and baked
in the oven on large flat pans.
[Illustration: Fig. 8]
11. INGREDIENTS IN COOKIES.--The ingredients used in the making of
cookies are similar to those used for drop cakes, with the exception of
the amount of flour. In fact, any cooky mixture that is made a little
more moist by omitting some of the flour may be used for drop cakes.
More flour is needed in cooky mixtures because they must be of a certain
thickness in order to be rolled out successfully. The amount of flour
needed varies with the kind that is used, more of some varieties of this
ingredient being required than of others. It is usually advisable to add
the last cup of flour with caution. If the mixture seems to be getting
stiff before all the flour is added, what is not needed should be
omitted; but if it does not become stiff enough to handle, more
should be added.
12. Considerable variety exists in the shortening that may be used in
cooky mixtures. If desired, butter may be used, but for most cookies it
is not at all necessary that the shortening consist entirely of butter,
and for some no butter at all is required. Other fats and oils, such as
lard, Crisco, lard compound, Mazola, cottoline, butterine, and any other
tasteless shortening, may be substituted for all or part of the butter.
Any of the following cooky recipes that contain butter do so because
that particular cooky or cake is better when made with butter, but, if
desired, some other fat may be used for a part or all of it. In case
merely shortening is mentioned, any fat or mixture of fats preferred
may be used.
13. PROCEDURE IN MAKING COOKIES.--The combining of the ingredients in
cooky mixtures need give the housewife very little concern, for it is
accomplished in much the same way as for cup and drop cakes. When all of
them have been combined, a dough that is stiff enough to handle and
still not so stiff that it is tough should be formed. The chief
precaution to be taken in the making of all kinds of cookies is to avoid
getting too much flour into the mixture. To produce the best results,
the mixture should be so soft that it is difficult to handle. A good
plan is to allow it to become very cold, for then it will be much
stiffer and may be handled more easily. Therefore, after the dough has
been mixed, it is well to set it in a refrigerator or some other cool
place and let it stand for several hours before attempting to roll it.
In fact, a cooky mixture may be made in the evening and allowed to stand
until the next morning before being rolled out and baked. As can readily
be understood, such procedure is possible with a stiff mixture like that
for cookies, while it would not be practicable with a thin mixture,
such as cake batter, because the gas that is formed by the leavening
agent would escape from a mixture that is not thick and the cake, after
being baked, would have no lightness.
14. With the dough ready to be rolled, divide it into amounts of a size
that can be handled conveniently at one time. Take one of these from the
mixing bowl and place it on a well-floured board. Work it with the
fingers into a flat, round piece, using a little flour on the fingers
during this process. Dust the top lightly with flour and, by means of a
rolling pin, roll the dough into a flat piece that is as nearly round as
possible. Continue rolling with a short, light stroke until the dough is
as thin as desired. Remember that light, careful handling is always
necessary when any kind of dough mixture is rolled on the board, and
that as little handling as possible is advisable. Skill in this respect
will come with practice, so the housewife need not be discouraged if she
has difficulty at first. For cookies, 1/4 inch is the usual thickness of
the dough after it is rolled; but for snaps or wafers the dough should
be rolled as thin as possible. If the dough is as moist as it should be,
it may be necessary, from time to time, to dust the top with flour as
the rolling continues. However, no more flour should be used than is
needed to keep the rolling pin from sticking; otherwise, the dough will
become too thick and the cookies will be tough and dry.
[Illustration: FIG. 9]
15. When the dough has been rolled until it is of the right thickness,
cut it in the manner shown in Fig. 9, using cooky cutters of any desired
size and shape. The four cutters shown, which are heart, round,
diamond, and star shapes, are the ones that are most commonly used. They
are merely strips of tin bent into a particular shape and attached to a
handle for convenience in using. In cutting the dough, try to cut it to
the best possible advantage, leaving as little space between the cookies
as possible. Very often, as, for instance, when diamond-shaped cookies
are being cut, the line of one may be the exact line of the one next to
it and thus no dough need be left between the cookies.
16. However, as Fig. 9 shows, a certain amount of dough necessarily
remains after all the cookies that can be made out of a piece of rolled
dough have been cut. Put these scraps together and set them aside until
all the fresh dough has been rolled. Then put them together carefully,
roll them out again, and cut the piece thus formed into cookies just as
the others were cut. Some persons are in the habit of working these
scraps in with the next piece of dough that is rolled out, but this is
not good practice, for by the time they are rolled on the board a second
time, more flour will be worked into them than into the dough with which
they were put and the texture will not be the same.
[Illustration: FIG. 10]
17. BAKING COOKIES.--Have a cooky sheet or other large shallow pan
greased and floured, and as soon as all the cookies are cut from a piece
of dough, pick them up with the aid of a spatula, as in Fig. 9, and
arrange them on the pan. Do not place them too close together, or upon
baking they will stick to one another and lose their shape. As soon as a
pan is filled, set it in the oven, either directly on the bottom or on
a low rack. If the temperature of the oven is correct, the cookies
should begin to rise within 2 or 3 minutes after they are put into the
oven. After they have baked on the bottom and have risen as much as they
will, they will appear as shown in Fig. 10. At this point, set them on a
higher rack to brown on top. In this browning, they will shrink to some
extent, so that the finished cookies will not have so smooth an
appearance as when they are placed on the top rack. When done, they
should be slightly brown, and if it is found that they are too brown on
top, it may be known that the oven temperature was a little too high or
perhaps that they should have had a little less time on this rack.
Molasses cookies require special care to prevent them from burning, for,
as is explained in _Hot Breads_, any food containing molasses burns
readily. A comparatively short time is necessary for the baking of
cookies, but they should be left in the oven long enough to be
thoroughly baked when removed. When ready to serve, properly baked
cookies should appear as in Fig. 11.
[Illustration: FIG. 11]
18. RECIPES FOR COOKIES.--With the principles of cooky making well
understood, the housewife is fully qualified to try any of the recipes
that follow. As will be noted, a number of recipes are here given and so
a pleasing variety may be had. Some of them are suitable for certain
occasions and some for others. For instance, barley-molasses cookies are
very good with coffee for breakfast, while filled cookies make an
excellent cake for picnic lunches. Cream cookies or vanilla wafers could
be served at an afternoon tea, while sand tarts make a very good
accompaniment for ice cream or some other dainty dessert. The nature of
the cooky will enable the housewife to determine when it should
be served.
GINGER SNAPS
(Sufficient for 4 Dozen Snaps)
1 c. molasses
1/3 c. lard or other shortening
1/4 c. butter
3-1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1 Tb. ginger
1 tsp. salt
Heat the molasses to boiling and pour over the shortening. Sift the dry
ingredients together and add these. Cool the mixture until it is stiff
and cold, roll as thin as possible, cut with a small round cutter, and
bake in a quick oven, being careful not to burn.
CREAM COOKIES
(Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)
1/3 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. thin cream
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. mace
3 c. flour
Cream the butter, add the sugar, eggs, the cream, and vanilla. Sift the
baking powder, salt, mace, and flour together and add these to the
mixture. Roll about 1/4 inch thick and cut. Bake in a hot oven.
VANILLA WAFERS
(Sufficient for 6 Dozen Wafers)
1/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Cream the shortening, add the sugar and egg, and continue beating. Pour
in the milk and add the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt
into the mixture. Roll out as thin as possible, cut with a small round
cutter, and bake in a hot oven. These wafers should be crisp and thin
when finished.
BARLEY-MOLASSES COOKIES
(Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)
1 c. molasses
1/2 c. shortening
1/4 c. milk
2 c. wheat flour
1 c. barley flour
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Heat the molasses, pour it over the shortening, and add the milk. Sift
the dry ingredients together, and add to the mixture. Cool, roll about
1/4 inch thick, cut, and bake in a quick oven, being careful not
to burn.
OATMEAL COOKIES
(Sufficient for 3-1/2 Dozen Cookies)
1 egg
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. thin cream
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. oatmeal
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 Tb. melted butter
Beat the egg and add the sugar, cream, and milk. Run the oatmeal through
a food chopper, and mix with the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir
all into the mixture, add the melted butter, and mix thoroughly. Roll
thin, cut, and bake in a quick oven.
SAND TARTS
(Sufficient for 6 Dozen Tarts)
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1-3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg white
Blanched almonds
Cream the shortening and add the sugar and the egg. Sift together the
flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and add these to the mixture. Fold
in the beaten egg white. Roll as thin as possible and cut. Split
blanched almonds, and after putting the cookies on the cooky sheet,
place several halves of almonds in any desirable position on the
cookies. Bake in a quick oven until light brown.
HIGHLAND DAINTIES
(Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cookies)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
1 egg yolk
Mix and sift the flour and sugar and work in the butter with the
fingers. Roll out about 1/3 inch thick and cut into any desirable shape
with small cutters. Brush with the egg yolk to which has been added 1
teaspoonful of water. Bake in a slow oven until light brown.
FILLED COOKIES
(Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cookies)
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. milk
3 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream the shortening and add the sugar gradually. Next add the beaten
egg and the milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together and
add to the mixture. Add the vanilla. Roll very thin and cut into small
round, square, or diamond shapes. Spread one cooky with the following
filling, cover with a second, press the edges together, and bake in a
quick oven.