Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Bohemian Rye Sugar Cookies

This is another of Grandma Van's, my husband's grandmother's, recipes. Every year she would make up a great variety of cookies and then package them into boxes for each of her grandchildren at Christmas. When I was dating Brendan in college, I was introduced to the cookies before I ever met the lady behind them. These were always one of the varieties included in the box. Although they are rather plain looking, their flavor is delicious. They are a crisp cookie that has a distinctive orange taste to them. Grandma Van died a little more than a year ago, but her memory and fabulous recipes live on.


Bohemian Rye Sugar Cookies

▪ 1 cup butter, softened
▪ 1 cup sugar
▪ 2 tsp vanilla extract
▪ 1 cup light Rye flour
▪ 1 cup all purpose flour
▪ 1 tsp baking soda
▪ ½ tsp salt
▪ 1-2 T. grated orange rind
▪ sugar, for dipping

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla, blend well. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Add orange peel, mix well.

Form into 3/4 inch balls - place on ungreased (or parchment lined) cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned on edges.


Notes: If you cannot find light rye flour, dark rye may be substituted, but the following changes should be made: dark rye flour should be only 3/4 cup, and all purpose flour increased to 1 1/4 cup. Be sure to store these in a tightly covered container so they keep their crisp texture. One last tip, be sure not to get the bitter white pith just under the peel of the orange - a microplane works wonderfully and quickly on getting the orange zest.

2 comments:

Living Life said...

Now that looks like a cookie I would love! Thanks for the tip on where to find the rye flour.

janet said...

If I knew I could find the rye flour, I would definitely make these! I'm going to have to keep my eye out for that!

Next year you should host a 'virtual' cookie exchange!