GRANDMA'S OLD-FASHIONED COOKIES by Publications International

PUBLISHER: Publications International, 1996
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B

FROM PUBLISHER: Grandma's cookies have always been time-tested favorites, from delicate teatime treasures to monster cookies brimming with chips. Whether you prefer classic cookies, brownies and bars or out-of-this-world special-occasion treats, Grandama's Old-Fashioned Cookies is a fabulous collection of heartwarming recipes. We've also included special holiday cookies and fun-filled recipes to make together with children. Why not re-create those wonderful memories for your own family with a fresh-from-the-oven batch today?

Chapters: Traditional Cookie-Jar Favorites, Classic Chips & Chunks, Keepsake Bar Cookies, Time-Honored Brownies, Grandkid's Delights, Old-World Holiday Treats.

THINGS I'VE MADE

COCOA SNICKERDOODLES

This cookie is made will all butter and cocoa powder. The recipe has no salt in it so I added 1/4 t. to half the recipe. I also added vanilla extract as the recipe had none in it. I added a small amount of mini semi sweet chocolate chips to the dough. I formed the soft dough into a log on plastic wrap and refrigerated it, then sliced the dough 1/4" thick when I was ready to bake them. The log of dough was a bit thicker than I intended so I only got 13 cookies out of it, making half the recipe.

They spread out a whole lot, 3.75". They baked in 8 minutes. They're crunchy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. Flavorwise these aren't anything special. They're bland and I wouldn't make these again.

LUSCIOUS LEMON BARS

These are your classic lemon bars found in countless cookbooks. The crust is shortbread/shortcrust which is just butter, sugar, and flour. I omitted lemon zest from the crust and added a little vanilla extract. This crust uses double the standard amount of sugar so it's very crunchy once it cools. If you don't want a crunchy crust, use half that amount of sugar. You press the crumbly mixture out into your foil/parchment-lined pan, bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven, then poor your lemon curd-type filling over it, then bake until it's set. Before I poured the filling, which is just eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and zest, over it I spread a small amount of raspberry jam over it. 

For half the filling I used all the zest from one lemon, not the 1/4 amount I was to use, and added a scant 1/4 t. salt because the recipe called for none. That amount was perfect. Once I returned it to the oven it baked in 18 minutes, so a total of 33 minutes. You have to let this type of crust cool in the pan completely else it will bend and crack and fall apart when you remove it from the pan. These are usually dusted with powdered sugar because the top browns lightly and is ugly.

These are very good and very simple to make and I'll use this recipe again. The crust can be mixed up in advance and stored in the refrigerator for several days.

MY THOUGHTS: This line of books (Favorite Brand Name) are great and I've had several. The book is large, thin, and full-color will full-color photos of most of the recipes.There are usually two recipes per page. I've made several more recipes out of this book many years ago but don't remember the results. This time I only baked two things and only one was good.

I purchased this myself a long time ago.