Great Great Grandmas Pioneer Trail Salt Cookies Recipes

GREAT GRANDMA'S SOUR CREAM DROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream sugar, shortening, and butter together in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
• Mix in sour cream and lemon zest on low speed until no streaks of sour cream remain. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium-low just until there are no streaks of yolk, and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder all at once and mix just to combine.
• Drop by heaping tablespoons on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops are puffy and spring back when lightly touched with a finger, about 10 minutes. They should be light golden, with occasional spots of pale golden brown.

GREAT GRANDMA'S PIONEER TRAIL BISCUITS

Steps:

• 1. Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cut in the lard, until mixture looks like meal. Stir in buttermilk. If dough is not pliable, add just enough buttermilk to make a soft, puffy dough that is easy to roll out. Knead dough on lightly floured board about one to two minutes or 25 to 30 times. Roll out dough to about 3/4 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter, or use a glass of the right size. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
• 2. *** I don't use LARD. I use either Butter Flavored Crisco or Margarine. The Pioneers cooked them a bit differntly as there were no modern ovens on the trail... They made make-shift ovens that were sitting on coals of the campfire and more coals on top to get a hot oven effect. They also spent a lot of time baking as the ovens were small. They also sometimes made them in a skillet or a heavy pot with a lid (Dutch Oven)with coals under and about 12 - 15 on top.

GRANDMA RUTH'S SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter, and eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture until dough holds together.
• Mix 2 tablespoons white sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl.
• Form dough into 2-teaspoon-size balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 7 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

GREAT GREAT GRANDMA'S PIONEER TRAIL - SALT COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside
• 2. Cream together the shortening, sugar, then add eggs and vanilla.
• 3. Slowly add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture, in small amounts at a time. Add nuts.
• 4. Form the dough into an oval shaped log. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate over night.
• 5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 6. Remove dough log from refrigerator and remove wax paper. Slice very thin. Place slices on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 -15 minutes.