Christmas cookie recipes from the ’50s: Snowflake sugar cookies
Ingredients
1/3 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract OR 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Mix thoroughly shortening, sugar, egg, flavoring. Sift together dry ingredients and stir in, then chill for 1 hour. Heat oven to 400 (moderate/hot).
Roll the dough to a 1/3-inch thickness on lightly floured board. Keep the dough chilled, rolling only half of the mixture at a time. Cut with star cutter.
Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, or until delicately brown. Decorate cool cookies with Shiny glaze [recipe below]. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Shiny glaze for snowflake sugar cookies
Ingredients
3 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup hot water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract or vanilla
Food coloring, if desired
Directions
Mix all ingredients until the mixture is smooth and glossy. Cover. Stack cookies on rack in pairs with points of top star between points of bottom star. Place rack over pan. Pour 1 teaspoon of glaze over snowflakes.
While the glaze is still soft, transfer cookies to waxed paper and decorate as desired. Let snowflakes dry before storing.
Success tip: Add few drops of hot water to thin glaze as necessary. Add decorations before glaze dries.
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Christmas cookie recipes from the ’50s: “Paintbrush” cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. flavoring (vanilla or lemon)
2-1/2 cups sifted Gold Medal Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Directions
Mix thoroughly together the shortening, sugar, eggs, and flavoring. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and stir into the shortening mixture. Chill at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 400 F (moderate/hot). Roll out to a 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured board. Cut in desired shapes, one dozen at a time, so cookies will not dry out. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Paint with Egg yolk paint. Bake 6 to 8 minutes; do not brown. Makes about 4 dozen.
Egg yolk paint
Blend well 1 egg yolk and 1/8 teaspoon of water. Divide mixture and add food colorings. Paint designs on cookies with small paintbrush. lf the “paint” thickens, add few drops of water.
Christmas cookie recipes from the ’50s: Frosty fruit bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. grated orange rind, if desired
1/4 cup pineapple or orange juice
2-1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup seedless raisins
1 cup mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired
Directions
Heat oven to 400 F (moderate/hot). Mix the shortening., sugar, egg, and orange rind. Stir in juice, then sift in the dry ingredients together and stir in. Mix in fruit and nuts with hands.
Divide dough in half. Roll each on lightly floured board into a rectangle, 12 x 7-inches. Cut six 7 x 2-inch strips.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes on a lightly greased baking sheet. While warm, spread with a confectioners’ sugar icing and decorate with candied fruit. Cut into bars. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
MORE TO SEE: 160+ vintage Christmas cookie recipes
One Response
I am looking for a recipE I made as a child. I believe it was accompanied on the same pamphlet as you painted cookies from the 50’s. It was I believe a Christmas stocking filled with nuts and candied fruit. Would you happen to have the recipe?