Sweet Old Things

Looking for an excuse to bake cookies? Sweets are synonymous with Valentine’s Day and there’s something especially significant about homebaked tokens of affection.

These cookie recipes come from Chicagoan Ann Wolff, who shared her family’s handwritten cookbook from the turn of the century. Written in distinctive longhand by Emma F. Rosenthal and dated February 1901, these recipes succeed as well today as they must have almost 100 years ago.

At first blush, this may seem surprising, but consider the source. This family loved food. An 1886 menu for a wedding dinner includes: “Oysters in ice boats, green turtle soup, filet de sole a la Normandie, Parisienne potatoes, sweetbread patties financiere , filet de boeuf , truffle sauce, potato souffle with peas, cranberry ice, potted quail with mushrooms, chicken salad, ice cream, torte with assorted centers, crackers, cheese and coffee.”

These cookies are certainly not so fancy. The sugar and ginger cookies are easily rolled out and cut into shapes with heart cookie cutters. The chocolate kisses are based on a meringue mixed with ground nuts and chocolate.

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Crisp, thin and buttery, these cookies are as good as they come. You can decorate them with colored sugars, if you want.

SUGAR COOKIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 2/3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg white, for brushing

Colored sugars, optional

In mixer, cream butter and sugar until light colored, about 3 minutes. Add egg. Mix until well combined. Add flour and salt. Mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto floured board. Roll out 1/8-inch thick. Cut with desired cookie cutter shapes. Place on greased baking sheets leaving 1 inch between cookies. Put egg white in small dish. Froth with fork. Brush tops of cookies with egg white. Decorate with colored sugars.

Bake at 325 degrees until cookies are lightly browned on edges, about 11 to 12 minutes. Use metal spatula to transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be made several days ahead and kept in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 40 (2-inch diameter) cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

69 calories; 18 mg sodium; 15 mg cholesterol; 4 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.01 gram fiber.

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Many a baker would have loved to have thought of adding coffee to these cookies. It’s such a good idea. The coffee deepens the ginger just to the right point. These cookies, too, can be decorated with colored sugars, if you choose.

COFFEE-GINGER COOKIES

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup strong coffee, cooled

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

1 egg white, for brushing

Powdered sugar, pressed through fine sieve, for sprinkling, or colored sugars, optional

With mixer, cream butter and sugar until light colored, about 3 minutes. Add molasses and coffee. Mix well. Add flour, baking soda and ginger. Mix until just combined.

Turn dough out onto board sprinkled with powdered sugar. Divide in half. Working with each half, dust top of dough with powdered sugar. Roll out to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets allowing 1/2 inch between cookies. Put egg white in small dish. Froth with fork. Brush with egg white. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees until fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 7 1/2 minutes. Use metal spatula to transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be baked several days ahead and kept in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 80 (2-inch diameter) cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

28 calories; 1 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 1 gram fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 0 protein; 0.01 gram fiber.

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As written in this cookbook, the egg whites for these cookies were beaten by hand for 20 minutes. Modern machinery has made that easier. I also added a decorative dimension; I drizzled the cookies with melted chocolate, easily done by dipping the tines of a fork into the chocolate, then drizzling it over.

CHOCOLATE KISSES

4 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup sugar

Dash salt

1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds or walnuts

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely minced in food processor

In mixing bowl, whip egg whites, sugar and salt on low speed 5 minutes. Increase speed to high and continue whipping until egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 3 minutes more. Fold in nuts and unsweetened chocolate.

Drop batter by level tablespoonful onto greased baking sheet, allowing 1 inch between kisses. These cookies will spread more than other meringue cookies. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown on bottom, about 11 minutes. Use metal spatula to transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies may be frosted. Melt 2 ounces semisweet chocolate in small microwaveable dish in microwave oven on LOW, about 4 to 5 minutes, checking and stirring often. Do not overcook. Dip tines of fork in melted chocolate. Dribble over tops of cooled cookies. Allow chocolate to harden, about 1 hour.

Cookies can be made several days in advance and kept in airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 30 (2-inch diameter) cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

71 calories; 16 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 3 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.10 gram fiber.

* Glass platter, cups and saucers from Bristol Farms Cook ‘N’ Things, South Pasadena.