Consorting with Cookies

My mother was never much of a baker. It wasn’t that she couldn’t bake when called upon — she had the skills — she just wasn’t particularly interested. That said, I do recall, when I was quite young, my sister and me decorating a ginger bread house she’d baked. And of course there was the Bourbon Cake, which she continued to make every year until just a few years ago. But cookies were never part of our holiday tradition.

Aside from the Bourbon Cake that she made and the fruit cake my father made (both at Thanksgiving and then aged) the only other baking I remember occurring every year was Bisquick Sausage Balls, which became my traditional holiday job when I was 11 or 12. In fact, I still make them.

I’m sure I’ve baked cookies on occasion, but in truth, the only time I remember doing so is last Spring when I made these Applesauce Cookies. They’re very tender, light, and moist — muffin-like — and not tremendously sweet. They also keep well for up to four days in a plastic bag.

Although moist, the Ranger Cookies are almost the opposite of the Applesauce Cookies. They’re heavy, chewy, and quite sweet. I looked at a bunch of recipes for them and about half the recipes called for cornflakes and the other half for Rice Krispies. As you can see, I went for cornflakes. Fresh out of the oven you can distinctly taste the cereal, but after about eight hours the flavors meld together.

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Applesauce Cookies
Recipe found on GeoCities

2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c sweet butter
1 c sugar
2 ea eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1 c walnuts and raisins

Heat oven to 375F.

Sift flour, salt, and spices together. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla extract. Stir soda into applesauce and combine with creamed mixture. Gradually mix in sifted dry ingredients, stir in nuts and raisins.

Drop by tablespoons full 2 or 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes or until done. Makes about 30 cookies.

Ranger Cookies
Adapted from a 1952 recipe by the LA Unified School District

1 c butter, at room temperature
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 ea eggs, well beaten
2 c sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c rolled oats
2 c cornflakes
1/2 c coconut

Heat oven to 350F.

Cream butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

Sift flour with baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture. Add vanilla extract, oats, cornflakes, and coconut and stir until blended.

Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten to 3-inch diameter. (Use square of wax paper to keep dough from sticking to fingers or whatever you’re using to flatten dough.) For small cookies, drop by rounded teaspoon. Do not flatten.

Bake larger cookies at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cookies should be slightly soft when removed from oven. Bake smaller cookies at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 30 large cookies or 6 dozen small cookies.

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