Pignolia (1893); Jan Hagel (1897); Thumbprint, Ranger Cookies

Sun May 25 02:06:37 UTC 2003

PIGNOLIA

   There are 9,590 Google hits for "pignoli" and 1,220 for "pignolia."
   Merriam-Webster has 1898 "for "pignoli" or "pignolia."
   OED has not one mention of either "pignoli" or "pignolia."  Just miserable on food.

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
  Display Ad 7 -- No Title; The Washington Post (1877-1954), Washington, D.C.; Dec 28, 1893; pg. 5, 1 pgs
("Salted Pignolias, per lb. ... 50c" at Fussell's Ice Cream, 1427 New York Avenue.)

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JAN HAGEL

   This Dutch cookie is in several Betty Crocker cookbooks.  There are 557 Google hits for "Jan Hagel" and 37 for "Jan Hagels."
   Not in OED.

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
  HOUSE WASHING IN; Primitive Methods Followed by Dutch Housewives and Their Quaint and Cleanly Servants. ANNUAL SPRING TURN-OVER Servants Have Wages and a Percentage on the Household Expenditures as Well -- They Are Clean; New York Times (1857, New York, N.Y.; Jun 6, 1897; pg. 14, 1 pgs
("'Jan Hagel' (or John Hall) is a crisp flat square cake, which was doubtless eaten in the days of the De Witts of the same form and flavor as it is now, and Holland gin since the world began has proclaimed for itself its value.  So John Hall and Schledam Schnapps meet on these festive occasions, and with the high life below stairs congratulations are in order.  John Hall is no mean treat: a thin cake covered with split almonds, and both baked to a crisp.  (A good suggestion for afternoon teas.)")

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THUMBPRINT COOKIES

  There are 200 Google hits for "thumbprint cookie," but it's also frequently just "thumbprints."  "Handprint cookie" has only 17 Google hits.

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
  Nut Bread, Bird Food, Thumbprints, Peach-Pits . . .; ANNE'S READER EXCHANGE; The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973), Washington, D.C.; Jan 4, 1973; pg. E12, 2 pgs

  Our Other Man In Algiers; Our other man in Algiers; By SANCHE de GRAMONT; New York Times (1857-Current file), New York, N.Y.; Nov 1, 1970; pg. 228, 7 pgs

  Classified Ad 127 -- No Title; New York Times (1857-Current file), New York, N.Y.; Nov 2, 1969; pg. W64, 1 pgs

  Table of Contents 1 -- No Title; The Washington Post, Times Herald (1959-1973), Washington, D.C.; May 23, 1963; pg. A1, 1 pgs
("No mere coincidence if World Food Congress-men soon to be dining in Washington homes, find fun buns or thumbprint cookies proffered by junior hosts.  For recipes and ads to abet such plans, turn to Page C1.")

(DOW JONES DATABASE)
FUN TO MAKE COOKIES GET THUMBS UP
NANCY BYAL Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
07/20/1994
Greensboro News & Record
ALL
D8

I remember as a child helping my mom make thumbprint cookies. My job was pressing my thumb into the center of each ball of dough to make a hole big enough for that sweet jam filling. The all-time favorite thumbprint cookie is still fun to make, plus it has a new look and taste.
This version is based on a chocolate dough, flavored with orange and cinnamon. Of course, you still need to press your thumb into the center to make room for the sweet cherry filling.
...

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RANGER COOKIES

  "Ranger cookies" have 420 Google hits.

(DOW JONES DATABASE)
FOOD
THE EXCHANGE
Monkey Bread Even Bonzo Could Love
JANE BENET, FOOD EDITOR
03/11/1987
The San Francisco Chronicle
FINAL
AA4
(...)
I thought a couple of the ranger cookie recipes that ran a couple of weeks ago sounded pretty close to the real thing. However, they all missed the mark, according to four readers who sent their versions of the "correct" one. All of them, incidentally, were basically the same.

Ione Elioff wrote (on the tail of her monkey bread request): "Melanie Ashworth did not get the real recipe for Ranger Cookies. I feel compelled to give you the best and only authentic recipe - if there be such a thing - Mrs. Provo's version from Mansfield, Louisiana."

Patricia Farley of Mill Valley got hers from "The Art of Making Good Cookies Plain and Fancy," by Annette Laslett Ross and Jean Adams Disney. It uses shortening instead of butter.

Sheila Spindel of San Francisco uses margarine for her version and adds 12 ounces of chocolate chips. Helen Smith of Fort Bragg sometimes substitutes nut meats for the coconut.
(...)
RANGER COOKIES

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS: Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Sift flour, soda, baking powder and salt together. Add to butter-sugar mixture and blend in. Add oatmeal, cereal and coconut and mix well. Dough will be quite crumbly.

Shape into balls the size of a walnut. Press flat on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degrees oven until lightly browned.

(DOW JONES DATABASE)
LIFE
Hey, it's what's for dinner ; Jambalaya, meat loaf, cheese spread: Soldiers make the best of MREs
Steven Komarow
04/03/2003
USA Today
FINAL
D.10
(...)
Staff Sgt. Grady Parris, 32, of Asheville, N.C., says one of the first things a soldier learns is how to make a "Ranger Cookie." "Get 2 tablespoons water, half a pack cocoa powder, half a pack peanut butter, some coffee creamer and a pack of sugar. Mix it together and stick between two crackers," he says.
...

(GOOGLE GROUPS)
From: Richard Kaszeta (rich at kaszeta.org)
Subject: Re: "Ranger" Cookie Recipe?
Newsgroups: rec.food.baking
Date: 2001-11-06 07:07:51 PST

"Hugs" <skipper at netins.net> writes:

> While talking to a friend today, she nostalgically remembered a cookie
> served in her cafeteria in school, called a "Ranger" cookie. She can't
> remember if they had molasses in them or not, but that they were very good.
> My question is:  Is there a type of cookie called "Ranger" like a bar or
> drop cookie?  Or is this a flavor or specific recipe. It would be great to
> find this recipe for her if at all possible.

Ranger Cookies are a mainstay of grade school cafeterias... :)

Usually they are flavored with brown sugar, and have oatmeal in them

Here's the recipe I have:

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups oatmeal (rice krispies work too)
1/2 cup coconut

Blend shortening, sugar, brown sugar, egs, and vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking soda, powder, and salt.
Mix until smooth.  Fold in oatmeal and coconut.  Mix until fairly well
distributed, but I like 'em more if you don't mix it completely.

Roll into small walnut-sized balls and press onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

--
Richard W Kaszeta
rich at kaszeta.org
http://www.kaszeta.org/richMessage 3 in thread