I have known myself for a long long long time—-well maybe just a long long time. I can’t say long in tooth because that applies to horses and I am Goose—-with a capital G you will note. What do you call an aging goose anyway? With a chicken you are either a spring chicken or a stewing hen? Then there are the kids and old goats, heifers and old cows. I will have to research the topic or maybe one of you has some input. Be nice now.
Moving along down the yellow brick road— when I am excited I am a teeny weeny bit impulsive. So last week I was looking through a friend’s Great Grandmother’s cookbook called the Household Searchlight. Based on a popular ladies magazine in the 30’s, several editions were published. This volume was the 1937 version.
I spied a recipe for cottage cheese cookies. Having never heard of such a cookie type, I made an on the spot management decision that I would bake a batch. Sugar plums didn’t dance in my head, but I did see large billboards and a plethora of glossy magazine ads— Mama Goose from Wild Goose Tea honored by the American Dairy Association for her remarkable use of cottage cheese in cookies. There would be a picture of me, not with a milk mustache, but with cookie crumbs on my chin.
In short my recipe was as follows:
1 1/2 cups FLOUR
1/2 cup BUTTER
2 teaspoons BAKING POWDER
1/2 teaspoon SALT
1/2 cup COTTAGE CHEESE
1/2 cup SUGAR
Cream the butter and sugar together
Add the salt and baking powder and blend
Add the cottage cheese and blend
Add the flour and blend
Form into a loaf and chill the dough overnight
Slice thin. Bake for 10 min at 400 degrees
As I am whipping up this tasty batch of cookies and sipping a little Sangria, I realized—Wait! There is no flavoring. Did I forget to write it down? No, I was pretty careful. I was torn. Should I be wild and crazy and add a flavoring or tried and true blue (aha one of the reasons for my choice of this week’s teapot). I chose tried and true blue.
The next night as I was slicing the cookies. Slicing of course indicates a nice clean cut. Squishing through is a better description of what was transpiring. But I was nonplussed. No problemo Senora Goose, we will merely freeze our loaf next time. Ole’.
So after I took them out of the oven it was time for the Big Moment—-the taste test. After one bite which produced a lackluster response from my inner food critic, I once again reassured myself. No problemo Senora Goose, we will merely add flavoring next time.
As I continued to chew, the little cottage cheese globules kind of tasted like pockets of uncooked dough. The cookies were nice and puffy from all that baking powder, but little bubbles of cottage cheese which had migrated to the surface and edges were root beer brown. Hence a teapot with brownish polka dots. The bottom line is one would not find a picture of these cookies on the cover of Martha Stewart’s latest cookie cookbook.
Oh bother. What to do with these cookies. So I did what any self respecting middle age female would do, I made a chocolate mint frosting, since it’s a basic life tenet that everything is better with chocolate.
Subsequently I googled cottage cheese cookies, which I should have done in the FIRST place. I discovered several very interesting recipes which were more generous with both the butter and cottage cheese. Plus there was flavorings up the yin yang.
I suspect I will bake a batch of cottage cheese cookies utilizing a current recipe just to be fair. But first I will have to heal a bit more from my dashed hopes of being the poster queen for the American Dairy Association.
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
But you tried! And you posted this photo of a gorgeous tea pot! The American Dairy Association might say moo moo to this, but I say, what the heck. The sound of chocolate mint frosting sounds mighty good to my finger!
Carol says
I did take the cookies to work. They were well liked. But I know they were suckered in by the chocolate mint frosting, which was pretty tasty.
addie | culicurious says
What an interesting adventure in baking! I wonder if you perhaps whizzed the sugar and cottage cheese in the food processor if that wouldn’t help improve your texture? Just a thought. 🙂 I think making a mint chocolate icing was a perfect solution to lackluster cookies. Maybe some almond or bright citrus flavor might help these babies out as well? I also find it fascinating that there aren’t any eggs in here. Maybe the cottage cheese does the work of the egg? I’m interested in hearing about your next adventure with this recipe! 🙂 Also, that teapot is lovely. Your storytelling is fantastic and you tied the two together so well!
Carol says
I wasn’t so surprised about the lack of eggs, because they were butter cookies. But when they popped out of the oven all nice and PUFFY, then I was surprised. I know I had the baking powder, but I was expecting them to spread out flat—-going outwards instead of upwards. I did seriously consider citrus for flavoring. Our minds are running in tandem. I love the teapot too. This is one that I don’t sell. I just found it a long time ago and loved its royal cheeriness.
Pam says
I think adding flavoring would help them out tremendously! I hope the next batch makes your mouth happy.
Carol says
Yep, you are soooo right. Happy mouth—-I love that term. It fact I sitting here typing and quietly laughing.
John@Kitchen Riffs says
Frosting always gets this gander. 😉 Can’t resist the stuff. Too bad about the cookies, but I’ve finally learned to listen to those instincts when I read a recipe and realize something just isn’t right. I’m looking forward to the flavorized version!
Carol says
My Mom always told me to listen too. Laughing—you are so right. A couple of other cottage cheese versions were pretty dang fancy. So I would be pushed to excellence from other direction. Of course if the pressure got to me, I will have cookies to eat to relieve the stress.
marcie says
I would never have thought of adding cottage cheese to cookies, and I guess it would have to be delicious! Great idea, Carol, and I do think you should win an award for this one. 🙂
Carol says
You are so kind. That was salve on the wound. Laughing here. Here a couple of days later I am already plotting for my next foray into the world of Cottage Cheese Cookies! A little drum roll, please Maestro!
Judit + Corina @ Glamorous Bite says
The chocolate mind frosting was a genius idea to patch up those cookies! Perhaps a fuller fat cottage cheese would do better than a low fat one or a different brand… Well at least they were save-able and that is the main important thing 🙂 Hope your summer is going well! We have been away in Europe this month and are finally back to start cooking again.
Cheers! J+C
Carol says
Most excellent, I will look forward to your posts. I imagine you picked up some exciting ideas! Thanx for the heads up!
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
This happens to me all the time! I’ll see a recipe that sounds delicious. I make it like the recipe and find something isn’t right. Good save with the chocolate mint frosting!
Carol says
I suspect you are like me, since you are foodie. The failures don’t stop you! On to the next adventure! Like treasure hunters, we strike it rich enough times that its all worth it.
Debra says
I have my grandmother’s Searchlight cookbook. Often when I am wanting an old family recipe and I call mom, she tells me , “It’s in the Searchlight.” Great book!
Carol says
That is too cool. I plan to make some other recipes too. I saw what look like some winners. I shouldn’t be so surprised, because it sounds like it was quite popular in the 30’s. It’s my daughter in laws great grandmother’s book that she just recently inherited.
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
The cookie crumbs on your chin is a great touch and basically describes me everyday! I hope The American Dairy Association is reading this post!
Carol says
Oh that would be too too funny to get a response from someone from that organization! In regard to the cookies crumbs—or crumbs in general—-on your chin. You sound like a kindred spirit. Ha!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I’m no spring chicken. I suspect I’m one of the oldest around but I wasn’t around in the 30s. 🙂 I think there should be a huge billboard with a crumby chin and these lovely cookies!
Carol says
Spring chickens get ate. So I think you and I are good being where we are. Thankfully I wasn’t around in the 30’s either. Ha! A HUGE billboard—-I can picture it now.
sue/the view from great island says
What a wild ride with these cookies — but I must say that frosting sounds like a winner!
Carol says
You are right about the frosting. You can’t go wrong with chocolate. And in my outlook on life you really can’t go wrong with a mint and chocolate match up!
Stacy says
Hi, Carol!
It’s taken me ages to get over here to meet you – been wanting to every since you left me the first kind comment but life got in the way. Now I just want to say how sorry I am that it took me so long! I love your style of writing, your sense of humor and your adventurous spirit. Never mind that the cookies didn’t turn out quite as you envisioned them. There’s always next time and, of course, chocolate.
Carol says
Well Howdy Girl—-thanx for stopping by. I hope you will pop over on a regular basis. I sure am immensely enjoying your site. Oh yeah that life intervenes thing—-I find myself smiling as I am typing—-don’t we all know in depth about that. No need to be sorry.