Mama’s cookies remembered with love, humor

Mama was born in 1900, the second of 10 children born in a sod house in the Dakotas. As the first of the four girls, she got the job of growing up quickly so as to help with the next eight progeny of my maternal side of the family. Her much-beloved dad was a traveling salesman who left the corn crop and dust-dry gardening to wife and kids, showing up periodically to hug the children, his wife, and take off again. I never met him.

By the ’20s, the family (sans father) had re-located to N. Dakota, where coincidentally, the Riesland family had also settled – making the meeting of my mother and father a done deal. They were married on March 3, 1927, moving to Chilco where Grandma Riesland had accepted the position of Postmistress at the grocery store, P.O., along with a little cabin (read “hut”) nearby. She had living quarters in the store, so gave the house to Dad and Mom, where they lived till moving into Cd’A in 1936.

Mama was petite – not quite five feet tall, fragile-looking and always neatly dressed.

She was a fireball around the house – always cleaning, sewing outfits for me or baking something good in the kitchen woodstove. Proud of her Norwegian ancestry, she lived up to it throughout the years with her spotless housekeeping and kitchen wizardry. I’m afraid I didn’t inherit her housekeeping capabilities, nor her talent with the sewing machine – but in the kitchen I find redemption, so in loving memory of Iva Clarabelle (nee Davidson) Riesland, who passed away in August, 1975, I dedicate this column.

First, a story. One of Daddy’s favorite cookies were Mama’s chocolate chip made from the classic recipe on the package. After she passed away, Daddy, living alone and in his 80s, found the cookie recipe and decided to try his hand at them. Daughter Diane and I happened to drop by that afternoon and with a funny, rueful look, he offered us each a cookie. They were delicious – until one bit into a “chocolate chip” – Diane almost broke a tooth – and discovered that what Daddy thought was a bag of chocolate chips was really dry beans! The small reddish-brown beans had looked to Daddy’s failing eyes like chips – otherwise the cookies were perfectly baked!

One of my favorites were Mom’s incredible melt-in-your-mouth shortbread cookies (pictured). Here’s her recipe, which includes Dad’s beloved chocolate but can simply be deleted.

Shortbread Cookies

1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients through salt in a large mixing bowl, stir to blend. Add butter and with fingertips, rub in lightly till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and vanilla and stir till a smooth dough forms. Pat into a flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 45 minutes. (Can be overnight).

Preheat oven to 325F. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough about 1/4-inch thick. Using a two-inch diameter cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake in center of oven 15-18 minutes or till firmed but not browned around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 25-30 cookies.

Dad tended the large vegetable garden at our Coeur d’Alene home, and Mama utilized the harvest delightfully. Following are three of her simple but great cookie recipes, all featuring fresh carrots.

Carrot/Zucchini Cookies

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon EACH salt, cinnamon

1/2 cup EACH grated carrots and zucchini

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Set oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, then beat to fluffy consistency; add egg and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and beat into mixture. Stir in carrots, zucchini and nuts. Drop on greased cookie sheets and bake about 20 minutes. Remove with spatula from sheet onto narrow racks or waxed paper to cool. Frost if you wish after cooling.

Tip: Add 1/3 cup raisins to batter if you wish, (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips for a surprise treat).

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

1/3 cup EACH vegetable oil, brown sugar, molasses

1 egg

1 cup white flour

1/2 teaspoon EACH baking powder, baking soda, salt (if desired)

1/4 teaspoon EACH nutmeg and cinnamon

1/4 cup dry milk

1 cup grated carrots

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/4 cups quick rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, molasses and egg.

In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and combine together. Add to the oil mixture. Stir in carrots, raisins and oats and mix ingredients well. Drop by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart on lightly oiled baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned around edges; remove to a rack to cool.

Oatmeal-Carrot Shaggies

(2 1/2-3 dozen cookies)

2 cups Quick Quaker Oats, uncooked

1 cup finely shredded carrots

1 cup firm packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp. EACH baking powder, baking soda, salt

1/2 tsp. EACH cinnamon, cloves

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup BFC, melted, cooled

1/3 cup milk

1 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

Frosting (Optional):

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbs. real butter, softened

2 tsps. Grated orange peel

1 Tb. plus 1 tsp. real orange juice

Heat oven to 350. Grease baking sheet. For cookies, combine oats, carrots, brown sugar and raisins in large bowl. Combine dry ingredients (flour through cloves) and stir into oat mixture with spoon. Combine eggs, BFC, milk; stir into carrot mixture. Stir in coconut and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 1/2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

Make frosting if desired. Combine all four ingredients in small bowl, stirring until smooth and easy to spread. Frost cooled cookies.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com. or by phone at 208-265-4688 between the hours of 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.