CLASSES OF COOKIES.—Cooky mixture may be thin like a drop batter and dropped by spoonfuls on to a pan or it may be about as stiff as a soft dough and rolled and then cut into rounds or other shapes. Hence cookies may be classified as:

(1) Drop Cookies.

(2) Cut or Rolled Cookies.

TEXTURE OF COOKIES.—Drop cookies may or may not contain fat. Cut or rolled cookies usually contain fat. Since a dough is prepared in making the latter kind of cookies, fat is needed to make the mixture sufficiently tender. A dough containing little or no fat usually produces a tough cut cooky. A skilled cooky maker, however, can secure a soft cut cooky containing little fat by making a very soft dough.

If crisp, cut cookies are desired, the dough should be rolled thin. To secure soft cookies roll the dough to at least 1/4 inch thickness. If cookies containing fat are stored in a tightly covered box, they become softer after several days.

COMPARE the recipe for Sugar Cookies with that for Plain Cake. Account for the difference in the quantity of milk. Explain why the quantity of milk is decreased rather than the quantity of flour increased.

SUGAR COOKIES

2 cupfuls flour 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1 egg 1 cupful sugar 1/2 cupful fat Milk or water (about 3/8 cupful) 1 teaspoonful flavoring or spice

Mix as for Plain Cake (do not separate the eggs), adding just sufficient milk to make the dough stiff enough to be rolled out. Put the dough in a cool place to chill. Roll out in small portions; then sprinkle with sugar. Cut and bake at 375 degrees F. 10 minutes or until browned.

SOUR MILK OR CREAM COOKIES

Follow the recipe for Sugar Cookies, using 1/2 cupful of thick sour milk or cream in the place of sweet milk and adding 1/4 teaspoonful of baking soda. If sour cream is used, only 1/3 cupful (instead of 1/2 cupful) of fat is needed. Nutmeg—1/2 teaspoonful—is a pleasing flavoring material for these cookies.

For Ginger Cookies, vary the recipe for Sour Cream Cookies as follows:

Use 1/2 cupful sugar and 1/2 cupful molasses instead of 1 cupful of sugar.

Increase the baking soda to 1/2 teaspoonful.

For flavoring use 1 teaspoonful ginger and 1 teaspoonful allspice.

Since the molasses furnishes some moisture, it is usually necessary to add more flour or decrease the sour milk or cream.

COOKIES WITH RAISIN FILLING

Prepare Sour Cream Cooky dough. Roll the dough into a thin sheet and cut it into rounds. Spread half of the rounds with a thin layer of Raisin Filling (see below). Then cover each round with another piece of dough. Press the edges together. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake in a moderate oven.

RAISIN FILLING

1/2 cupful corn sirup 1 cupful seeded raisins 1/4 teaspoonful salt

Cook these ingredients until the mixture is thick enough to use as cake filling.

One fourth cupful of chopped nuts may be added. One egg may also be added to the mixture just before removing from the fire.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2 1/2 cupfuls flour 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 1/2 teaspoonful baking soda 1/2 teaspoonful salt 1 egg 1 cupful sugar 3/4 cupful peanut butter 1 cupful sour milk

Mix and bake as Sugar Cookies. It is especially necessary to make the dough for these cookies very soft. It requires skilful handling.

CORN-MEAL COOKIES

1/2 cupful melted fat 1/2 cupful molasses 1/2 cupful corn sirup 1 egg 6 tablespoonfuls sour milk 1/2 teaspoonful baking soda 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 2 cupfuls corn-meal 1 cupful wheat flour 1/2 teaspoonful salt

Combine the melted fat, molasses, sirup, beaten egg, and milk. Sift the dry ingredients and combine with the liquid. Drop from a teaspoon on to a greased pan and bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees F.) for 15 minutes. This makes 55 to 60 cookies about 2 inches in diameter.

(Adapted from United States Food Administration Bulletin.)

QUESTIONS

How does the method of preparing cooky mixture differ from that of preparing cake mixture?

Why should cooky dough be chilled before rolling out?

What can be done to the cooky cutter to prevent it from sticking?

Why is less fat required for Sour Cream than for Sour Milk Cookies (see
Figure 64)?

From the United States Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, find the per cent of fat in peanut butter. What is the per cent of fat in butter (see Figure 63)? If butter were substituted for peanut butter in Peanut Butter Cookies, how much would be needed to furnish the same quantity of fat?