Dear Readers,
On October 27, I wrote about my family’s experience of gathering and using black walnuts from Cousin Urban Heck’s backyard tree, and how they were an essential ingredient in “Sausage Cookies”.
These cookies were a traditional holiday favorite and we enjoyed eating them for many Christmases. After Mom died, we tried to find the recipe among her cookbooks but were unsuccessful. My sisters and I knew that two of my aunts made the same cookies, so we asked our cousins if anyone had the recipe. Sure enough, our cousin, Joanne, had a copy and mailed it to us. Here’s the recipe and I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did.
Sausage Cookies
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter
2 – 6 oz. pkgs. black walnuts
3 or 4 cups flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar and add to the mixture. Fold in black walnuts. Shape cooky dough into logs about 6 ” long. They will resemble sausages. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight. Slice cookie dough in 1/4 ” slices and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
Note: The “3 or 4 cups of flour” means you start out with 3 cups and if you need more to make the dough stiff enough to shape into “sausages”, just add more. This recipe can be halved as the full recipe makes about 144 cookies. I told you my family loved those cookies!
Keep smilin!