Betty Crocker – Coffee and Spice Drops

Ingredients

• 1 cup soft shortening (227g Lard)
• 2 cups brown sugar (approx. 400g)
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup cold coffee (120ml)
• 3½ cups sifted GOLD MEDAL Flour (385g plain flour)
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Mix together the shortening, sugar and eggs.
2. Stir in the coffee.
3. Sift together and stir in, the flour, soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
4. Chill at least 1 hour.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake until set … just until, when touched lightly with finger, almost no imprint remains.

Baking

• Bake in a mod. hot oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• 190°C–200°C, 375°F–400°F , Gas Mark 5–6, Fan 170°C–180°C

Quantity

• About 6 doz. 2½″ cookies.

Variations

• Hermits – Spicy, fruity, satisfying … contributed by Mrs. William G. Dorr, who worked with us in our test kitchen one summer. She says they were always first choice with her little girls.
  • Follow recipe above and mix into the dough 2½ cups halved seeded raisins (approx. 400g) and 1¼ cups broken nuts (approx. 160g). Be careful not to overbake..
• Mincemeat Cookies – Extra quick, no extra fruits needed … they are in the mincemeat..
  • Follow recipe above and mix into the dough 2 cups (450g) well drained mincemeat.
• Spiced Prune Drops
  • Follow recipe above and add ¼ tsp. cloves with other spices. Mix into dough 2 cups cut-up cooked prunes (350g) (pitted and well drained), and 1 cup broken nuts (approx. 130g).
• Applesauce Cookies – Yummy applesauce cake in cooky form.
  • Follow recipe above except add 1 tsp. cloves with other spices. Mix into the dough 2 cups well drained thick applesauce (480ml), 1 cup cut-up raisins (approx. 160g), and ½ cup coarsely chopped nuts (approx. 65g). Bake 9 to 12 min.

Title

Betty Crocker Picture Cooky Book

Author

General Mills Company – Betty Crocker was not a real person; she was a fictional persona created in 1921 by the Washburn-Crosby Company (which later became General Mills).