7 r al ——— aie thick on lightly-floured board. Cut with floured cookie cutter Place on lightly-greased cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven, 375 deg. F., for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 dozen. EASY DATE BARS 1/2 cup cookie mix 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 egg 1 tablespoon milk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped dates 1 cup chopped nuts Stir mix, brown sugar and baking powder together. Add and mix thoroughly; the egg, milk and vanilla. Stir in dates and nuts. Blend well. Pour into 8 x 8-inch pan lightly greased with shortening. Bake in moderate oven, 375 deg. F., for 20 to 25 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into strips. Makes 1 1/2 dozen. MOLASSES COOKIES 2 cups cookie mix 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup light brown sugar 11/2 teaspoons soda 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg 3 tablespoon molasses Stir together the mix, flour brown sugar and spices. Add egg and molasses. Stir well. Chill dough. Roll out 1/4 inch thick on floured board. Cut with floured cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake in moderate oven, 375 deg. F., for 8 to 10 minutes. SPICED COOKIES Make as sugar cookies, adding spices to tasteand water to moisten. SUPREME FLAKY PASTRY 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup shortening 1 egg 1 tablespoon vinegar Ice water, if needed Mix flour and salt. Cut in shortening. Beat egg and add vinegar. Sprinkle over flour and shortening mixture, stirring gently to blend. Add ice water, carefully, if required. Roll out and use for fruit pies. This rich pastry is easier to roll if chilled first. HOW TO BAKE, STORE AND FREEZE COOKIES Read through recipe. Gather ingredients. Collect utensils you'll need. Pre-heat oven. Measure ingredients. Use baking sheets as indicated in recipe. Use bright shining cookie sheets. Dark sheets absorb heat and make bottoms of cookies dark, too brownand often over-baked before tops brown nicely. Leave plenty of space between cookies, as you place them on the sheet, to allow heat to circulate evenly. Cookie sheet must not completely fill oven rack. There must be plenty of space between sides of oven and cookie sheet for heat to circulate. When you bake two sheets of cookies. one rack below the other, it’s often wise to switch the cookie sheets when baking time is half over, so they’ll brown evenly. 38 If you use glass baking pan reduce the oven tem.perature 25 deg. F., lower than recipe suggests. If you are short of cookie sheets, usea cake pan and turn it upside down. Grease with unsalted shortening and bake cookies on bottom. Always grease cookie pans with unsalted shortening. Look at cookies when minimum baking time is up. As soon as they’re done, remove from the oven and take off pan with a spatula. Place on cake rack to cool. STORING COOKIES Keep thin, crisp cookies in can or jar witha loose fitting lid. Keep soft cookies in a canor jar witha tight fitting lid. FREEZING COOKIES All cookies will store nicely in the freezer with the exception of meringue types and bar cookies with meringue toppings. Meringues tend to become brittle on storage. Macaroons also tend to become hard and brittle. Different types of cookies can be frozeninone container. When you go to use them you’ll have an assortment of cookies to serve. Bars and squares can bebaked, cooled and covered tightly with freezer foil (press foil down tightly over surface) wrapped and frozen. Cookie dough can be frozen, Several rolls of assorted refrigerator cookie rolls store easily to be sliced and baked when required. Unbaked cookies and confections: Make cookies, chill, wrap and freeze. Separate layers with freezer paper, pushing down lightly but securely to eliminate ‘‘drying’’ air space. If confections are sticky, freeze them until firm and then wrap them. Plan to use frozen cookies up within one month. You always want a rapid turnover in your freezer to make the best use of space and to have foods served at their very best. COATING WITH ICING SUGAR To quickly coat warm cookies with sugar, sift through sifter over cookies. HANDY TIPS 1. Use kitchen scissors dipped in boiling water to cut up marshmallows, candied fruits, etc. 2. Firm cakes in the freezer, then ice them and use immed- lately to prevent crumbs in the icing. OR: Puta very thin coating of icing sugar mixed with water over cake. Let it dry and then frost cake, 3. SIMPLE SYRUP: Boil 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water for 10 minutes. Store in refrigerator and use to thin fondant for icing and for beverages, etc. HANDY MEASUREMENTS Graham Wafers: 1/2 package # 16 double wafers 2 cups fine crumbs = 25 single graham wafers 2 1/2 cups fine crumbs = 30 single graham wafers Vanilla Wafers: 1 (1/2-pound) = 21/2cups crumbs Marshmallows: 1/2 pound = 30 to 32 large marshmallows, 4 to 41/2 cups miniatures 1 large marshmallow = 13 miniatures 1 cup = 16 tablespoons 1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons 3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons 1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon 1 pint = 2 cups 1 Imperial pint = 2 (10-ounce) cups or 2 1/2 (8-ounce)cups