Shared recipes are a great gift. But when they have a terrific story attached to them, they’re priceless. Last fall, I asked my readers to send in their favorite holiday cookie recipes. I have waited until now to share one in particular with you because it deserved to have the spotlight all to itself.
Ramona McDonald of Mobile, Ala., shared her mother’s recipe for Gumdrop Travelers. Ramona writes: “This is a recipe my mother started making during World War II. She sent them to my brother, who was stationed in Germany at the time. It is a favorite of my family now for over 50 years.”
Spiced gumdrops were a popular candy during the ’40s and ’50s, but I hadn’t seen them in years, so I wondered if I could still find them. But sure enough, spiced gumdrops were right there in the grocery store candy aisle, in a small cellophane bag on the bottom shelf, just like I remembered.
Gumdrop Travelers do indeed travel well. I took them on a cross-state road trip for a family reunion and, besides the few we snacked on along the way, they made a beautiful presentation on the dessert table. The candy-filled cookie was especially popular with the younger folks and those of us with a childlike sweet tooth.
I hope you and your family enjoy these delicious, old-school cookies as much as Ramona’s family and mine have — whether it’s during the holidays or springtime. Enjoy!
GUMDROP TRAVELERS
½ cup margarine
½ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
⅔ cup spiced gumdrops, quartered or chopped smaller
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, cream margarine and sugars. Add egg and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients and add gradually to creamed mixture.
Add gumdrops and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls (about 1½ tablespoons) on greased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven 12-15 minutes. Let cool slightly on cookie sheet so gumdrop pieces can set; cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container, so they will not get too hard.
Makes about 3 dozen.
Each cookie has about 77 calories, 3 grams fat (none saturated), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 1 gram protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber, 81 milligrams sodium.
Alicia Ross is the co-author of three cookbooks. Contact her c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106, email tellus@kitchenscoop.com, or visit http://kitchenscoop.com.
