Vintage Eats: 1949 Orange Drop Cookies

It’s a new year and I can’t wait to see what this year has in store with exciting prospects, especially in the kitchen!

This winter I’m organizing my new kitchen for ease and practicality. After moving into this home in August, I had a hard time acclimating to the kitchen. Part of the reason was the gas oven and stove. I’ve never been around anything but electric and was perfectly happy with that type of cooking implement.

Seeing flames under my stovetop pans while boiling eggs did not endear me and actually slowed me from becoming accustomed to the stove for several months.

And, in my defense, on three occasions while using the oven/ stove, the smoke alarm has gone off! It’s a very shrill and piercing shriek and hurt my ears and those of my family who were in the house. We hurried to turn on the stove’s fan and open the doors, despite frigid weather.

The truth is, nothing was burning and there was no smoke and no reason for it to go off. I was told by the builder that it is sensitive and can’t be changed. Ugh.

Now we turn on the fan whenever we cook/bake, a step we hardly feel should be needed but nevertheless, we do it.

Then there is the small poof and clicking sounds the oven makes when it is on. It always makes me think the oven is going to explode. Someone explained that it is the oven’s burner re-igniting and that I’ll get used to it. Maybe and maybe not. I still don’t like it.

But I’m persevering and ready to cook on a regular basis.

Then there was another problem I had to deal with.

The counter where I tried to use the mixer didn’t allow me enough room to work. The problem was, I’m left-handed.

Then, I thought, “This is my kitchen. I can do whatever I want with it.” So I picked up the mixer and moved it to the kitchen’s island. There is plenty of space there to work on both sides of the mixer.

This has made me more comfortable in my kitchen work space. I made the last post’s recipe –Banana Pound Cake –from this position and it was so helpful and relaxing, especially with a big pan and lots of ingredients!

My advice if you’ve wrestling with a new kitchen or one with limited work space is to think outside of the box. Yes, I have to manually pick up the mixer to put it into its new place each time (and I have to clear the counter of clutter). But it is worth it to have extra work space. I’m less worried about knocking something off the counter or forgetting an ingredient.

Can you remove appliances from your work area? We don’t use the toaster daily so I place it in a drawer, placing a towel beneath it to capture crumbs.

Also, I used to park my crock pot in a permanent spot on my counter in my old kitchen. But with a larger pantry in the new house, I’m designating a spot for it there, thus freeing up yet more counter space.

What can you do to enhance your cooking experiences to get excited about cooking?

This recipe from 1949 came from a cookbook called ‘New Recipes for Good Eating.’ It is published by Proctor and Gamble, the creators of Crisco. This is a simple, quick recipe that tastes light and sweet. The next time I make it I will add a ½ teaspoon of cardamom, as I keep seeing bakers on “The Great British Baking Show” use them together with great results.

See my notes about this recipe at the bottom.

What are you baking?

**

Orange Drop Cookies

½ c. Crisco

1 c. sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 T. grated orange rind

½ c. orange juice

2.5 c. flour

1.5 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ c. coarsely chopped nuts

Blend Crisco and sugar until smooth – 3-4 minutes.

Add eggs and blend well.

Add grated orange rind and juice. Blend well.

Stir in dry ingredients and nuts.

Drop from teaspoon to greased cookie sheet.

Bake 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cover with Orange Icing while warm.

Orange Icing:

1 T. orange juice

½ t. grated orange rind

1 c. powdered sugar

Blend orange juice and rind.

Stir in powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth.

Pour over warm cookies.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

My notes:

1. I used a store-bought, organic brand of orange rind because I couldn’t find my grater.
2. I deleted nuts due to personal preference.

#PorkandRiceCasserole #cookyourbooks2025 #cookingfrommyshelf #cookbookchallenge #cookbooks #vintagerecipes #BakingFromScratch #BakingLove #Recipes #Food #Recipe #Cooking #DessertGoals #SweetTooth #HomemadeCookies