Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Several weeks ago, Faye Carroll requested a recipe for orange slice cookies that does not include oats.
"This is a recipe I received from my long-deceased sister-in-law in the early 1960s. It is probably more steps than we are used to now, but is very good," Dorothy Lynch writes.
Orange Gumdrop Chews
3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups gumdrop orange slices, cut up
1 1/4 cups flaked coconut
1/2 cup broken nut meats
2 cups sifted flour
Beat eggs with water till foamy. Gradually add sugar and salt, beating till light and fluffy.
Add orange pieces, coconut and nut meats one ingredient at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Blend in flour. Spread in a greased 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-by- 1-inch jelly roll pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes. Cool. Cut in bars or squares.
Makes 4 dozen bars.
Glenda Wright shares this version.
Orange Slice Cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose-flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped orange slice candy (from a 10-ounce bag)
1 cup chopped nuts such as pecans or walnuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Stir in coconut, chopped candy and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
"There was a request in the paper today, Jan. 25, for orange slice cookies using coconut and pecans. It reminded me of the recipe below that my mom and I used to make. The recipe was given to us by a neighbor, Mildred Ralston, back in the 1960s," writes Wanda Gerke.
"It is a cake, not cookies, but I thought it was interesting that it has the ingredients the reader requested."
Orange Slice Cake
2 cups pecans
1 (8-ounce) package dates
25-cent package of orange slices ("Ha!" notes Gerke) [This most likely refers to a 10-ounce package]
3 1/2 cups flour, divided use
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon orange rind
1 can coconut (back in the day when sold in cans) [probably 1 cup of coconut]
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
Finely cut nuts, dates and orange slices. Mix in 1/2 cup flour.
Cream sugar, butter and eggs. Add grated orange rind and coconut.
Sift soda and remaining flour. Add soda and flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Stir in orange slices, dates and nuts.
Bake in greased, floured tube pan for 21/4 hours at 250 degrees.
While hot, ice with the following: 2 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup orange juice (sounds like too much, notes Gerke), 1 teaspoon of orange rind.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Please include a daytime phone number.
Food on 02/15/2017