Carrier Street Cookies!

My mother grew up very near this house on Carrier Street, in Liberty, N.Y. The home was owned by the Cooper family and the welcome mat was always out. It was purchased by Allan Berube and run as a bed and breakfast, until his untimely death.



The bed and breakfast, when in operation, was a welcoming sight and maintained so nicely by Mr. Berube. He inquired of my mother some of the history from the home and my mom was all too happy to share her fond memories as well as the cookie recipe Mrs. Cooper often made for the children in the neighborhood.



Once Mr. Berube learned of this lovely cookie, he made bags for his guests and attached a copy of the history for his guest to enjoy. The page states: Carrier house is near the site of the old Liberty railway depot. Hoboes, who used to hang around the train yard, came up Cooper Ave. to Carrier and New Street, offering to sharpen scissors and do other work for food. These cookies are from a recipe Bobi Benton ( Ruth Wheeler's Sister) gave me. These were her favorite childhood cookies that Mrs. Cooper shared with neighbors and the hoboes who knocked on her door in the 1940's.



Hobo Fortune Cookies (because they had the good fortune of eating them!)

Sift: 1 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup light molasses
1 cup sugar
1 egg

In mixer, mix wet ingredients. Add dry ingredients to batter. Stir in 1 cup rolled oats. Shape into balls and dip in extra bowl of sugar. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.



P.S. If you are wondering about the huge chicken in the yard of the guest house....it was purchased by Mr. Berube from the local dairy queen when it went out of business. I bet it made anyones stay "Sunny Side Up"!

Bobi's Bites: Chocolate Drop Cookies!

My dad has only been at the cabin for about ten days but he already feels the need for some comfort food. He asked my mom to bake some of his Grandmother's Chocolate Drop Cookies. Not a problem for all the ingredients were on hand except those "squares" of bitter chocolate. This happens to my mom more than you want to know but in the "Substitutions for Emergencies" section of her TRUSTY recipe book she located the substitute:
1 sq. (1 oz.) unsweetened chocolate can be replaced with
3 tbsp. cocoa plus 1/2 tsp. shortening.

Onward with the recipe

Grandma Low's Drop Cookies
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 squares melted chocolate
or 6 tbsp baking cocoa and 1 tsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla.



Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 325-350 ten to twelve minutes until cookies spring back
when touched lightly.

Frost with confectionary sugar icing and decorate as desired.

Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies - They're so Sweet!

One more confectionary concoction from Curt (Gumpa) and his Sourdough Starter!


Sourdough Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour, plus more if needed to make formable dough
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix sourdough starter, peanut butter, butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add to sourdough mixture, adding a little more flour if needed to form balls. Form into small balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Yields 36 cookies. For variation add 2 cups choc. chips. These cookies can also be iced with a confectionary sugar icing.



When my mom made these over Spring Break she mixed the ingredients and treated half the dough like sugar cookies and added chocolate chips to the remaining dough. Both were wonderful. This dough makes a wonderful soft and moist cookie.
Try some with your starter!

Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies - Jenny Mac Style!

I ran across a blog the other day that had the most interesting cookie recipe on it. I had all the ingredients on hand and a large dose of curiosity - so I was off to make a batch! I found the recipe on Jenny Mac's Lip Smack blog. Check out her Crazy Cookie Cake Chippers. She made hers beautiful. I made mine fast. Check out the difference.



Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies
Adapted from Jenny Mac's Lip Smacking Crazy Cookie Cake Chippers

18 oz Vanilla Cake Mix
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips and pretzels
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir dry cake mix, oil/butter, 2 eggs, crushed tortilla chips and pretzels until dough forms.
Spoon batter out onto cookie sheet (I use a mini ice cream scooper to make them a uniform size as shown below)
Bake for 8-12 minutes.
Remove from pan after a minute or so and cool on wire racks!



My oldest daughter, Logan, helped me whip up a batch in about 5 minutes. These were quick, easy and yummy!
Thanks Jenny Mac!



When I make them again - which I will - I will only put in the pretzels. I enjoyed them more than the tortilla chips!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie!

Have I got another "Upscale" cookie for you? You bet! It may look
like just another chocolate chip but this has peanut butter. (I understand the peanut butter you buy at your grocery store is still safe.) For these I might even test fate.

World's Greatest Peanut Butter Cookie

1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 6 oz. package choc. chips (I always use 12 oz. - can you really ever have too much chocolate?)

Cream the butter and peanut butter together. Gradually add the white and brown sugars and cream until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth. Sift flour, measure, then sift again with the baking soda. Add flour and soda to the creamed mixture. Beat until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 325 degree preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 6 dozen two inch cookies.



Today I have to wish my mom, Bobi, a big happy birthday. She is 70 today and doesn't act a day over 25! She has more energy than I do and I can only hope that someday I look as lovely as she does! I love you mom for sharing with me your love of hostessing, your self deprecating humor, and most of all your love that you give so freely to everyone you meet. I am so lucky I get to call you mine! Now go make dad take you out to dinner!

Saltine Toffee Cookies

Saltine Toffee Cookies

My mother had her first bite of these two years ago at a neighborhood cookie exchange. She loved them and particularly enjoyed the fact that these could be made with matzoh crackers as well as saltines.
Remember, she grew up in the Catskills sometimes called the Borscht Belt and has friends that could appreciate this recipe. Don't wait for the Holidays or a cookie exchange- this recipe is good and easy for any occasion.



Ingredients:

4 ounces saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans




Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in a single layer,
(I covered cookie sheet with aluminum foil, then sprayed with
cooking spray.)
3. In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil
for three minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread
to cover crackers completely.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven
and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for five
minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped
nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces. (Cool in fridge.)