Failure to ever reconnect, anywhere along the line, with a long-lost recipe for her aunt’s coconut sugar cookies prompted Lois Leonard to knock on the Forum door and ask for help.
Responding to this request, Arlington cookiebaker Patty Beauchamp shares a recipe she labels “possible long-lost coconut sugar cookies recipe.”
She tells us, “Our family has always called these cookies Grandma Sanden’s sugar cookies. When I was in the second grade in Grand Forks, N.D., we lived next door to Grandma Sanden. That was in the early 1950s, when she was in her late 60s or 70ish.
“We have had the original handwritten recipe all of these years, and the cookies are delicious!
“The recipe does call for Crisco, but I have never melted it, so I’m not sure if this is the correct recipe, or what melting the Crisco would do. It does call for the cream of tartar Lois mentioned, and I have also added a tablespoon of coconut flavoring.
“The dough is very soft — I chill it to firm it up and nowadays, I use a small ice cream scoop.”
Grandma Sanden’s coconut sugar cookies
1/2cup brown sugar
1/2cup granulated sugar
1cup shortening, Crisco preferred
1egg, beaten
1/2cup coconut
2cups flour
1teaspoon cream of tartar
1teaspoon baking soda
1teaspoon vanilla
1tablespoon coconut flavoring (optional)
In mixing bowl, cream together sugars and shortening. Stir in egg and coconut. Sift together flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; stir into creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla and, if desired, coconut flavoring.
Dough will be very soft, so chill to firm it up. Using a small ice cream scoop (or spoon), drop dough onto cookie sheet and flatten a bit with the decorative bottom of a glass.
Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool before removing from sheet — they are soft, but crisp up.
SOS: Karen Hill writes, “About 1978-1980, I had a small paperback-size recipe book from Imperial margarine. It included the best recipe for a casserole with crushed tortilla chips and chopped cooked chicken breast. I recall there was a can of stewed or diced tomatoes in the dish and it was topped with shredded cheese, but I can’t recall any of the other ingredients.
“I can’t find the recipe and I’ve contacted Imperial to no avail. Do you think any of your readers may have this recipe or one that’s similar?”
How about it, Forum cooks? If you can help, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests, but please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Monday’s Time Out section.
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