Sunday, April 28, 2013

Washboard Cookies



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love the fanciful names old-timers gave to the food they made. There is, of course, track bread, so named because its filling formed a spiral that the imaginative thought resembled a race track when the bread was sliced. There are also washboard cookies which have ridges like those found on the old galvanized tin  washboards that were great grandma's curse.  Recipes for these cookies have been around for close to a century, and while peanut butter cookies are probably the most recognized example of them, there are lots of others. The  Shaker-simple cookies I'm featuring today can be counted in that number.  The recipe I'm using comes from Taste of Home magazine, and those of you who like your cookies both sweet and simple, will be happy you stopped by. These cookies are very easy to make and lend themselves to preparation in the barely adequate kitchens found in most cottage or cabin summer rentals. They are also a great starter cookie for young cooks to try. Not much can go wrong with the recipe, but they do have a flaw that may disappoint some of you. Those ridges you see in the photo above are hard to come by. The cookies tend to flatten and the ridges disappear as they bake. That doesn't affect their flavor but it does make the name of the cookie misleading. Pride kept me from posting a photo of a flat washboard cookie, so, I added several more tablespoons of  flour to the dough in order to guarantee I'd have ridges to show you.  This makes a nice everyday cookie that I know the kids, young and old, will enjoy. Here's the recipe. 

Washboard Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sugar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) Cream butter and brown sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, water and vanilla.
3) Combine flour and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.
4) Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheets and flatten with a fork that has been dipped in water. Lightly sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to complete cooling. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen cookies.







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15 comments :

A Paixão da Isa said...

hum mas que bonitos que eles estao estes cookies bem que comia um bjs bd

Kim said...

Dear Mary, I love your cookies!!!!

Buttercup said...

Perfect with a glass of milk. Thanks for your note about Google Reader. I'll see you on Facebook.

Priya Suresh said...

Very attractive cookies, name sounds fabulous.

David said...

Mary, Ah yes... Many memories of cookies like these, especially peanut butter! All I need now is a glass of milk... Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Diane said...

Bet they taste good :-) Have a great week. Diane

Unknown said...

How fun! I love the name and the cookies look fantastic, how can you go wrong with lots of butter and brown sugar, YUM!

Ginny Hartzler said...

These look wonderful, I never knew what this recipe consisted of, though I had heard the term from the old days. And now, can you help me? I printed your recent recipe of tuna patties, and have lost it. Looking through your fish category, I cannot find it or any tuna dish. And I was all set to make them today, darn the luck.

Kathy said...

Interesting post…lovely cookies! Love the name!

Joanne said...

Love the new site!!

At first I thought these were peanut butter cookies...either way delicious!

Angie's Recipes said...

Would be lovely to enjoy with a pot of freshly brewed tea in the afternoon. Yum!

Cindy said...

What a fun cookie. I'll make them with my granddaughter when she comes to visit!
Mary, I am in love with your Yucatan Chicken, Lime and Orzo soup. I have made it twice in the last two weeks. I crave it's fresh, hot flavor!

Unknown said...

Simple and delicious.. what more can you ask for in a cookie??

Mr. & Mrs. P said...

Looks delicious.. Love the pattern on top!!

Ramakant Pradhan said...

Looks quite delicious! Perfect for tea I should think :)

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