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Tried my great aunt's depression era cookie recipe and got a surprising result
My great aunt used to make these cookies during the 1930s with basically nothing but lard, molasses, and oatmeal. She always wrote the recipe on a scrap of paper with no oven temp or time. I finally gave it a shot last Sunday using her exact instructions. The dough was so dry I thought I messed up something major. But after 12 minutes at 350 they came out chewy and almost like a soft granola bar. I learned that old recipes like that relied on feel more than exact measurements. Has anyone else tried a vintage recipe that looked wrong but turned out perfect?
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gavin_allen484mo ago
Oh man, that's awesome! My grandma had a similar thing with her molasses bread - the instructions were just "flour until it feels right" and it drove me crazy until I tried it. Turned out perfect every time, just like you said with those cookies.
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tara_palmer4mo ago
Isn't that how all the best recipes secretly work though?
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robinson.holly4mo ago
I dunno @tara_palmer, sometimes you just need a clear list. Too much guesswork stresses me out.
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