When I was a child, I remember making Caraway Cookies to put on holiday cookie trays, but I had not had any in years; so when I came across a recipe for them in a hundred-year-old cookbook I decided to give it a try.
The Caraway Cookies were simple to make, and they turned out well. They have an old-fashioned goodness, and the warm, earthy flavor of the caraway seeds was delightful. They are not nearly as sweet as many modern cookies, and can nicely balance some of the other sweets on a cookie tray. They are also very nice with coffee, tea, or milk.
Here’s the original recipe:
When I made this recipe, the dough was very sticky, so I added additional flour to make the dough a better consistency for rolling. I used butter rather than a butter substitute.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
Caraway Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
2 cups flour + additional flour if needed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons caraway seeds
Preheat oven to 400° F. Cream butter and sugar; then stir in egg and milk. Add the baking powder and salt; stir until combined. Add the flour and stir until well mixed. If the dough is not the right consistency to roll; add additional flour. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick; then cut into shapes. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Sounds delicious! I love that they are a little less sweet.
They’re tasty.
I so enjoyed reading this recipe from the 1924 Butterick cookbook, Sheryl. As a word lover and baker, I found “fancy shapes” and “moderate oven” so very interesting. I was also surprised to see they were using butter substitutes way back then. Wonderful post, thank you.
I also really enjoy the wording of some old recipes. Over the past few years – as “A Hundred Years Ago” moves a year forward each year, I’ve noticed a significant shift in how various cookbooks address oven temperatures. By 1924 electric and gas stoves were becoming relatively common, but many people still had wood or coal stoves. The recipes in a few 1924 cookbooks list specific temperatures, but others like the Butterick cookbook use more general terminology like “moderate” or “hot” oven that with would work with any type of stove.
I find that so interesting, Sheryl, thank you.
I am pretty sure I am not going to make these up cause of the caraway and probably the rolling out part…lol
But I am thinking they might be good on a cheese tray because they are not overly sweet.
Yes, these might work on a cheese tray – though your comment makes me want to start searching for a caraway cracker recipe.
I was surprised the original recipe said to roll the dough out to half an inch! What thick cookies you have, grandma!
My great-aunt would make a wonderful gingerbread molasses cookie that had very little sweetness. I loved her cookies so much. My sister found a handwritten card with her recipe. It is very much in the style of the hundred year old recipes. https://retirementrvdream.com/2019/12/13/aunt-hazels-molasses-cookies/
I definitely didn’t roll them 1/2 inch thick. The thickness would affect how soft or crisp the cookies were.
Your great-aunt’s recipe looks wonderful.
It was magical watching her make the cookies. She was a sorcerer when the baking soda went into the molasses. The foaming and the color change was magical to me.
The cookies look great. I usually use caraway seeds in savory dishes/bakes, so I’m quite intrigued with this recipe. I always use less sugar in my cookies, so am definitely for it! 🙂
The caraway seeds work well in these cookies, but the cookies definitely are different than most modern recipes. I only use caraway seeds in a few dishes that I regularly make -a cabbage recipe and a soda bread recipe come to mind – but I think that I should experiment with using them more. Their unique flavor and texture probably have the potential to add to a variety of foods.
I’ll definitely keep it in mind! 🙂
I like that the cookies are so white–it makes them look like snow cookies! To my knowledge, I have never eaten a caraway seed in anything, but my mom’s sugar cookie recipe was less sweet than most cookies, and she always made them about a half inch thick. I might need to make some on this rainy December day since I will be staying inside!
These cookies are definitely whiter than many cookies. It’s always wonderful to make old family recipes. Your mother’s sugar cookies sound delightful. Since your mom’s sugar cookies are rolled out very thick, are they a relatively soft cookie? My general sense is that thinly rolled cookies tend to be crisp and thickly rolled ones tend to be soft.
Her cookies were soft, and I make mine the same way. Crisp cookies are not at all to my liking–I even like my ginger snaps soft. But yours were just beautiful!
I like both soft cookies and those that are more crisp. Your comments are making me think that I should have exactly followed the directions in the old recipe and rolled the dough out 1/2 inch thick. This is a good reminder that varying the thickness of the dough is a way to make cookies with very different characteristics.
that is quite a lot of caraweed seeds! I do love a spicy biscuit!
cheers
sherry
The amount of caraway seeds that this recipe called for worked well for these cookies.
Hmmm. The base recipe is one I have for a butterscotch cookie… It is less sweet. I think I’ll have to buy some caraway seeds and give this a try!
If you like caraway seeds I think that you’d enjoy a caraway cookie.
Interesting. Never have heard of this style of cookies.
Looking so delicious!
They’re yummy.
I don’t believe that I have ever had caraway seeds in a sweet recipe…the cookies sound very interesting.
If you like caraway seeds, this recipe is worth a try. I like them in cookies.