BASIC PRESSED & BALL COOKIE DOUGH (1950)

Steps:

• 1. Cream the butter , shortening and the sugar. Add egg yolks and the flavoring. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift together the dry ingredients and gradually add to the shortening mixture , blend thoroughly. Fill cookie press , form dough on unoiled cookie sheet. BAKE in a moderate oven 375° for 6-8 minutes. Yields 7 dozen posted by Mrs. Roy M.Carlson , Lake Bronson, Minn.
• 2. The following decorative designs can be applied to any of the designs. Colored sugars (or a blend of them), red-hots silver balls, finely ground coconut or nuts and grated chocolate make effective toppings if they are sprinkled on the cookies before they are baked. Grated lemon or orange rinds blended with small quantity of granulated sugar gives a pleasing finishing touch. If desired, the basic recipe dough may be tinted by blending in a few drops of vegetable coloring.
• 3. Plain Ball cookies are made of the basic pressed and balled cookie dough recipe. To form the balls , roll 1 teaspoon chilled dough between palms of hands. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.
• 4. VARIATIONS:
• 5. CEREAL: Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Dip into lightly beaten egg white ,coat lightly with crushed cereal flakes. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.--- Mrs. H.T. James , Silver Springs, Md.
• 6. CHOCOLATE: Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Roll into grated semi-sweet chocolate. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.--Mrs. W.L.Bourne, Humboldt, Neb.
• 7. COCONUT: Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Dip into lightly beaten egg white ,coat lightly with finely chopped coconut. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 10-12 minutes.--Dorthy Watson, Topeka, Kan.
• 8. DATE: Add 1/2 cup chopped dates to the basic dough recipe just before chilling. Blend thoroughly , chill several hours. Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.--Mrs. Alvie W. Dow, Belvidere, Neb.
• 9. RAISIN: Add 1/2 cup chopped raisins to the basic dough recipe just before chilling. Blend thoroughly , chill several hours. Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.--Mrs. M.G. Loftis, Battle Creek, Iowa.
• 10. NUT: Use 1 teaspoon of the chilled dough to form each ball. Dip into lightly beaten egg white ,coat lightly with finely chopped nuts , Space balls 3" apart on lightly oiled cookie sheet , BAKE in a moderate oven 350° for 12-15 minutes.--Mrs. Maurice Devening, New Castle, Ind.
• 11. The Household magazine decorated balls in the following ways. Indentations were made in the center of the unbaked balls. To obtain variety, chocolate bits , red-hots , small assorted decorative candies and chopped candied fruits were used.
• 12. If you do not own a cookie press , you can form your own designs, Here's a few suggestions: The ball may be formed into flat cookies with the bottom of a water glass which has been dipped in cold water and than in sugar. If the bottom of the glass has a sharply cut design , a pleasing effect is given to the cookie. If a fork is used to flatten the ball, crisscross or parallel lines give a decorative touch. Pecans or English walnuts halves used to flatten the balls leave an interesting design. If desired the nut halves may be baked on the cookies. Flattened ball cookies may be decorated as suggested for pressed cookies.