Helen's Russian Drops

Another recipe we are left in the dark about. But making cookies is not difficult  and so I will write out the directions as I think they should be written. These sound very good.

Helen's Russian Drops

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or lard
3 eggs, beaten separately
1 tsp. soda in 2 tsp. milk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 pound walnuts*
1 pound seeded raisins
pinch salt
3 cups sifted flour

Drop with spoon. Make small.
*My directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. Cream sugar and lard. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add in milk/soda and sour cream, blend well. Beat in flour mixture. Fold in raisins and nuts. Drop by tsps. onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
*Chop walnuts before adding
*Pecans could also be used in place of the walnuts.

Helen's Mince Meat Cookies

Dear Helen just did not write the directions out very well for most of her recipes. She knew how to make all of them, and she obviously was not thinking about her descendants who would be trying to decipher how to make them almost 50 years later. If you like mince meat then these cookies should hit the spot with you.

Helen's Mince Meat Cookies

1 pkg. mince meat
1 cup water
1 cup lard
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 cup nuts

Put water in mince meat. Cream sugar and lard. Combine flour, salt, soda, and nuts. Bake in moderate oven.
*You can substitute shortening or butter for the lard, though you will lose flavor and health if you use shortening, and if you use butter the cookies may be somewhat softer.
*Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. If needed, bake a minute or two longer. Do not overbake.

Helen's Pineapple Drop Cookies

Here's a delicious sounding fruit cookie. Though the directions are not super clear it should be easy to figure out. I imagine these could be easily doubled.

Helen's Pineapple Drop Cookies

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 egg
pinch salt
1/4 cup drained crushed pineapple*
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup nut meats


Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well and drop by 1/2 tsp. on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees.
*Bake 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake.
*If desired, take the reserved pineapple juice and mix with enough powdered sugar to make a glaze that you can drizzle on cookies when they are cooled.

Helen's Gum Drop Cookies

Here is another recipe that Helen wrote very little information with. This is a bar cookie, we know this from the admonition to "cut into squares", and also by the long cooking time.

Helen's Gum Drop Cookies

4 eggs, beaten light
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 Tbls. water
1 cup chopped gum drops*
1 cup nuts
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch salt

Bake half hour on cookie sheet in slow oven. Cut in squares. Use red and green gum drops at Christmas.
*Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift together flour, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. Beat tpgether eggs, brown sugar, and water. Add flour mixture to the batter and blend well. Fold in gum drops and nuts. Grease a 13"x9" pan and spread mixture evenly into pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares.
*Do not use black gum drops (licorice flavored).
*Use a pair of scissors dipped in cold water to cut the gum drops and keep them from sticking.

Helen's Cookies

These were simply marked "Cookies". There were literally no directions*, though I will write what Helen wrote, and then I will give some basic directions. These are a molasses spice cookie that would be good for afternoon tea or anytime one needs a snack.

Helen's Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. soda in hot water*
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Drop from tsp. Add nuts and raisins, if desired.
*My directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, spices, and salt; set aside. Cream butter and sugar; add egg and molasses and beat well. Add the sour cream, mix thoroughly, then add the baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp. hot water, beat to mix. Beat in flour mixture and mix well. If using raisins and nuts, use 1/2-3/4 cup each and fold in. Drop by tsps. onto lightly greased cookie tins. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove to cooling racks to cool.