OLD-TIMEY TEA CAKES
1/2 c. butter 1 1/4 c. sugar 1 egg Cream. 1 tsp. soda (in hot milk) Add to other mixture. 1 pinch nutmeg 2 1/2 c. flour sifted with 1 tsp. cream of tartar 1/2 c. flour Roll out dough. Cut into cookies.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-1/2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts, if desired

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In heavy saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and chocolate. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Add milk and mix well. Then stir in baking soda, flour, and vanilla. Add nuts, if using.

Drop cookie batter by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until cookies are just set. Frost with Buttercream Frosting. You can add 2-3 tablespoons of cocoa to the frosting for a chocolate frosting if you'd like.

GINGER-CREAM BARS-TNT

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup hot coffee
FOR THE FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chopped nuts, optional

In a medium bowl, cream sugar and 1 cup butter; set aside.

Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices; add to creamed mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, and molasses. Blend in coffee. Spread in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Cool.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
Cream 1/2 cup butter and cream cheese; add sugar and vanilla. Spread over bars. Top with nuts if desired.

Makes 5-6 dozen

BROWN RIM COOKIES
From What Shall I Cook Today Cookbook, Spry, c1935
Makes 4 1/2 dozen

"Try grated orange rind (2 teaspoons) instead of vanilla."

1 cup Spry (vegetable shortening)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 cups sifted flour

Combine Spry, salt, and vanilla. Add sugar, then beaten eggs, and beat thoroughly. Add flour and mix well. Drop from tip of teaspoon on baking sheets greased with Spry. (Or press through pastry bag.) Let stand a few minutes, then flatten cookies by stamping with a glass covered with a damp cloth.

Bake in moderately hot oven (375 degrees F) 8 to 10 minutes, or until delicately browned.

Wacky Cake-TNT

This is truly the easiest chocolate cake recipe I know. Sometimes called "Crazy Cake" or "Three Holes" cake, it is traditionally mixed in the baking pan. I use a bowl, however, as I have trouble getting all the ingredients well-blended if I mix it in the baking pan---and I can still make the batter in the time it takes the oven to preheat. You'll need regular, nonalkalized (non-Dutch process), unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. The cake is very moist, very chocolatey, and not especially sweet, and it will keep well at room temperature for a day or two, if tightly covered.

Serve this warm (not hot) with ice cream, or cool it completely and dress it up by sifting on a little confectioners' sugar just before serving.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup nonalkalized unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1-1/3 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup corn oil OR other tasteless vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
Grease and flour a 7 by 11 by 2 inch baking pan, knocking out any excess flour. Adjust rack to center position of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Into large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add all remaining ingredients. With hand-held electric mixer on low speed (or with a sturdy whisk), beat until ingredients are well-combined. Scrape bowl and beater(s) with rubber spatula (make sure bottom of bowl is scraped thoroughly). Beat batter again at low speed until well- mixed. Batter will be rather thin.

Pour into prepared pan. Spread level, then push slightly higher in corners and along edges of pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 23 to 30 minutes, turning back-to-front about halfway through baking pan. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center emerges with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. to cooling rack. Cool in pan. Serve warm (not hot) or cool. Cool completely before covering tightly.

8 or more servings