The Cookie Quest, Part 2

A little while back, I told you about a treasured family recipe, Nana Cookies and my quest to get them right. As you can see, I did it!

While I only remember my grandmother making these, this was actually my great grandmother's recipe. I managed to copy this one down long ago but the last time I made it, they came out all wrong. I was so disappointed! I didn't know what went wrong as I had followed my grandmother's recipe card to the letter (just like she taught me to).

So I e-mailed my mother's cousin to see if she had a copy of the recipe. Indeed she did, hand written by Nana herself (my great grandmother). In comparing the recipes, there was a slight variation that made all the difference. My grandmother's card said shortening while my great grandmother's card said shortening (liquid Crisco). Ah ha! It looks like my grandmother had left the part in parentheses off of her own recipe card. So round two commenced. This time I followed Nana's recipe and voila, they came out beautifully.

The one thing I changed was the baking time. The first batch came out crisp, which is fine if that's what you're looking for. But as I remember them, they're supposed to be soft and chewy. So I consulted Grandma's recipe to see why.

Ahhh, Nana's card says to cook them for 10 minutes but Grandma's says 8. The next batch went in for 8 minutes exactly and, tada, they were perfect ... soft, chewy, spicy ... just like I remember.

I couldn't help but smile as I made these thinking about my grandmother, the woman that taught me so much about baking and life. She was truly an amazing woman and my hero. She always will be.


So this is the part where you get to read the recipe, right? Well, I'm sorry but this one will have to remain a secret. Since it is a family recipe, I think it must stay as such. I will be glad, however, to bake these for my friends and family for years to come. And I hope to one day pass it down to my children and grandchildren just as it has been passed before.

And now my dear readers, what are some of your favorite food memories? Do share!