This issue’s recipe comes from the Murphy Garden Club in Cherokee County, NC. I could not find much information about the club itself, other than it must have been an important social group because I discovered several obituaries where the individual was listed as a charter member. The author of our recipe is Mrs. L. O. Caldwell of Andrews, NC.

All of the recipes in this cookbook are handwritten, adding to the charm. Looking over Mrs. Caldwell’s recipe, I noticed that I needed to make a test batch to try out her recipe and clarify some of the instructions. Here is the version that was successful:

Golden Pineapple Cookies
1/2 cup shortening [I used Crisco]
1 cup sugar [white, granulated]
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup crushed pineapple [drained]
1 5/8 cup flour [all-purpose, sifted]
1/4 tsp vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar. Add unbeaten eggs. Beat well. [I beat until they were fully emulsified.] Add flavoring and pineapple. Add dry ingredients to mixture. Drop by teaspoons. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 minutes. Cookies should be light brown.

I could tell that Mrs. Caldwell had made these cookies several times since she was so precise about the dry ingredients! When I made them, the recipe resulted in 29 cookies; but as the pictures will show and my mother will attest, I am not consistent in the sizes of dropped cookies. Someone more skilled than I am will no doubt make three dozen cookies from this recipe.

The cookies are light, not too sweet, and the pineapple taste, when detected, is pleasant. These cookies would be scrumptious at a spring or summer party. Enjoy!