Orange Butter Cookies (1967) ★★★★

2:43 AM 1960s , 20th century , 4 stars , Boys' Life , cookies , dessert 4 Comments

This recipe comes from a 1967 volume of Boys' Life, a magazine which has been printed by the Boy Scouts of America since 1911. It was printed in a column called Tim's Tips, which featured Christmas cookie recipes.

Original Recipe:

The Verdict:

I was nervous about these cookies! I had to re-read several times to make sure I wasn't missing a leavener. Oh - and as a disclaimer, I used a mixture of butter and margarine in my batter. The batter was very wet and sticky, even after being chilled for several hours. After chilling the dough, I baked a batch. They came out very pale and soft inside - almost cake-like. But the edges were very crisy and brown. I thought maybe it was because I had used a hot pan, but I got the same result when I re-baked with a cold pan and frozen cookie dough. Taste-wise, they're nice, but perhaps a tiny bit bland. The citrus zest was definitely there, though. I think they just needed a bit of vanilla. I thought they were good, but not great. I would eat them by choice, but I'm not sure I'd make this recipe again myself. Mr. Man really loved them, though!

Modernized Recipe:

(Adapted from Boys' Life, vol. 57 no. 12)

The original recipe is delicious and easy to follow. Add a splash of vanilla, if you fancy.