Cry Babies
Dear SOS: My friend Jane, 94, fondly remembers moist molasses cookies from her childhood called Cry Babies. She thinks they were called that because after tasting them, people always cried for more. She lost the recipe she got from her father, who got it from the cafeteria of the company where he worked between about 1910 and 1920. I would be grateful if you could find the recipe, and so would Jane.
Elisabeth MacCurdy
Sierra Madre
Dear Elisabeth: We found several recipes for Cry Babies, each slightly different. This recipe is from the Web site all recipes.com, modified slightly by the Times Test Kitchen to meet Jane’s specifications. These old-fashioned cookies are delicate, so don’t over-bake them. They’re as fragile as, well, crybabies.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a baking sheet and set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Dissolve the baking soda in the coffee, then add to the butter mixture along with the molasses. Mix well.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Add to the butter mixture, mixing well. Fold in the raisins and nuts.
Drop the batter by the teaspoonful onto the baking sheet. Bake until the cookies spring back slightly when touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
Get our Cooking newsletter.
Your roundup of inspiring recipes and kitchen tricks.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
