Now here’s something fun, a vintage article (published in 1963) about vintage cookie recipes! I’ve typed the article in full below along with a partial scan of the newspaper article (it’s huge), click to view the larger image. Lots of traditional favorite cookie recipes here!

ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE
Sunday, Nov. 17, 1963

COOKIES…The Vintage Years
By Elizabeth de Sylva
Democrat and Chronicle Food Editor

Fashions come and go. Styles of furniture change with the years. But when a cookie that becomes a sensation in any one year is sure to find itself as popular a decade later. Here are some of the best-liked cookies of past and present and the dates when they made their debuts.

Bonbon Cookies
Best cookie 1955-1960

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
food coloring if desired
1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 tsp. salt
Fillings: candied or maraschino cherries, pitted dates, nuts or chocolate pieces
bonbon icing
Toppings: chopped nuts, coconut, colored sugar

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and food coloring. Blend flour and salt in thoroughly by hand. If dough is dry add 1 to 2 tbsp. cream.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. For each cookie, wrap one level tablespoon of dough around a filling suggested above. Bake one inch apart on ungreased baking sheet 12 to 15 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool; dip tops of cookies in white or colored icings and decorate with toppings suggested. Makes 20 to 25 cookies.

(Note: Do not use self-rising flour in this recipe.)

Molasses Crinkles
Best cookie 1930-1935

3/4 cup soft shortening
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
granulated sugar

Mix first 4 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients and add. Blend. Chill.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough in 1 1/4-inch balls. Dip tops in sugar. Place balls, sugared side up, 3 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each with 2 or 3 drops water. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or just until set but not hard. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Holiday Fruit Drops
Best cooky 1945-1950

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup soured milk, buttermilk or water
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups broken pecans
2 cups candied cherries, halved
2 cups cut-up dates

Mix shortening, sugar and eggs well. Stir in soured milk. Sift dry ingredients and stir in. Stir in pecans, cherries and dates. Chill at least one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Place a pecan half on each cookie. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. Makes about 8 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Best Cookie 1935-1940)

2/3 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 package (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and blend. (For softer, more rounded cookies, use 1/4 cup more of flour.) Blend into first mixture and mix in nuts and chocolate pieces. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until delicately browned. (Cookies should still be soft.) Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. (Makes 4 to 5 dozen 2 inch cookies.)

Brownies
Best cookie 1920-1930

2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz.)
1/3 cup shortening or vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a square pan 8 by 8 by 2 inches. Melt chocolate and shortening over low heat. Beat in sugar and eggs. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; blend in. Mix in nuts. Spread in pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top has dull crust and a slight imprint remains when touched lightly. Cool slightly and cut in squares.

Ginger Dreams
Best cookie 1910-1920

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix first 5 ingredients thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and blend. Chill dough.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. (Cookies will spread during baking.) Bake about 8 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. While slightly warm frost with vanilla or lemon icing.

Hermits
Best cookie 1880-1890

1 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1/2 cup cold coffee
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cinnamon (RecipeCurio Note: Cinnamon is listed twice in the article but I believe it’s a typo)
2 1/2 cups seeded raisins
1 1/4 cups broken nut meats

Mix first 3 ingredients and stir in coffee. Sift dry ingredients together and blend into shortening mixture. Mix in raisins and nuts. Chill dough at least one hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Makes 7 to 8 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies.

Cinnamon Jumbles
Best cookie 1890-1900

1/2 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder (see comment below that suggests baking soda instead)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix shortening, 1 cup sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda and salt and blend in first mixture. Chill dough.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set, but not brown. Makes about 4 dozen 2 inch cookies.