I love reading old cookbooks – the unique names, different spellings, recipes I couldn’t even imagine cooking, and interesting directions (or lack thereof). For some time now, I’ve been thinking of working my way through some of my vintage cookbooks and baking the cookie recipes for our guest kitchen cookie jar. Seeing the movie “Julie & Julia” a couple weeks ago inspired me to put my plan into action.
From “Community Cook Book” Wahpeton, North Dakota
Melt 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, 3 beaten eggs, 2 cups cocoanut, 3 cups oatmeal, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. vanilla, about 2 cups flour. Drop from spoon on cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 375.
– Dolores Bormann
Innkeeper’s comments: My inspiration to choose this recipe this week comes from having a fresh coconut on hand and I loved the “cocoanut” spelling. I grated the coconut (in the food processor) to get the 2 cups – it took 1/2 of the coconut. After melting the butter, I poured it in a bowl and added each ingredient in order. I used just the 2 cups of flour. I baked them in my electric oven for 12 minutes. It made 5 dozen cookies. I’m not sure the year of this cookbook, it belongs to my Gramma, though the advertising includes three-digit phone numbers. Another cookbook from the area is dated 1953 and has five-digit phone numbers, so best guess 1940’s.
Nicolin Mansion Rating: ******** (8 out of 10 stars).
