Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cookies

These are Sarah's cookies.

I made these old fashioned buttermilk cookies from an old late 1800s cookbook.  I saw the recipe for these cookies posted on facebook by Sarah Crisman.  She and her husband are living in their Victorian home in Washington state.  Not only, that but they also live like Victorians.  I find their life and lifestyle quite fascinating.

The cookies don't have any eggs in them and the recipe said they were perfect for when your chickens are off their lay.  How funny.  Anyway, these cookies are soooooo good and we absolutely love them.  Each batch makes about 44 cookies. 

EGGLESS COOKIES NO. 2

Ellsworth, Mrs. M.W. Queen of the Household. Ellsworth & Brey: Detroit, Michigan, 1899. p. 108.

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. vanilla or other flavoring]

Cream together the butter and sugar, then mix in the vanilla and buttermilk. Mix the flour and baking soda, then add these to the wet ingredients and mix until it forms a soft dough. Roll out on floured bread board and cut into shapes. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 22 round cookies 2 3/4" in diameter.

Add any flavoring you wish. No eggs are required. These are very nice if grated or prepared cocoanut is added.

The buttermilk really makes the cookie so don't skimp on that.  I ended up adding a teaspoon of salt and using 3 cups of flour because the dough was too soft and sticky to roll.  I also made my cookies smaller using my biscuit cutter so that is why I got so many.

As noted one of the variations is to add coconut.  The second time I made these I added a cup of coconut to this recipe and that makes one fantastic cookie!  Well 44 of them, actually.

I love old fashioned recipes that use simple basic ingredients.  I am so glad Sarah shared this recipe on her facebook page.  

Thank you Sarah!