Molasses cookie recipe

Vintage Recipe Thursday is meant to preserve your own original vintage family recipes, or out-of-print, copyright-free recipes from old cookbooks, magazines, newspapers or postcards. You're invited! Get the details by clicking to the Vintage Recipe Thursday Homepage. I post recipes from the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, first published in 1931. My 16th printing is from 1943. What will you post?

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This week's recipe is for Molasses Cookies.  These are rolled cookies.  They include corn syrup which is not a common ingredient for the Household Searchlight Recipe Book, and one which I do not use at all.  I would recommend that when you make this recipe you substitute with a mild honey or with your own simple syrup.  It's very easy.  It's usually one part sugar and one part water.  Click the link for simple syrup directions.

This historical photo is of a molasses tank at Lucinda in 1928.  Location: Ingham, Queensland, Australia; Creator: Unknown; Rights information: No known copyright restriction; Source: Item is held by Hinchinbrook Shire Library; ID: Album 3 / Photo 84


Molasses Cookies

1 cup molasses

2 cups sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/2 pound chopped nuts

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 pound chopped citron

1 1/2 teaspoons cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup corn syrup (see note above)

flour

Beat eggs until light.  Add molasses, sugar, syrup, water, and vinegar.  Sift 2 cups flour.  To 1 cup add spices, salt and baking soda.  Combine with first mixture.  Add citron and nuts which have been dredged with 1 cup sifted flour to make a soft dough.  Mix thoroughly.  Turn onto lightly floured board.  Roll in thin sheet.  Cut with floured cutter.  Place on slightly oiled baking sheet.  Bake in moderate oven (400 F.)  about 10 minutes.  50 servings.  Mrs. Hilda Keller, Albuquerque, N.M.