Maple & Raisin Cookies: WWII Recipe for Soldiers
Maple & Raisin Cookies were one of dozens of recipes for cookies during WWII intended to be sweet treats that carefully considered rationing and shortages, substituting available sweeteners and fruits for the usual fare. The results were inventive treats that were economical and delicious.
One of the recurring things you’ll see in letters and oral history interviews from WWII soldiers (and wars beyond that as well), are the foods soldiers remembered. Whether in basic training, while on the front lines or their first meals when they returned home or left prisoner of war camps food is a prevailing theme. Many recollections involve soldiers missing food they ate at a canteen or recalling how white bread tasted like cake after having it for the first time again.
The Joseph Burnett Company specialized in flavoring extracts, colorings and other food additives. In 1942, the company published a pamphlet entitled “Cookies for Rookies” where they offered recipes, tips on cookie making, and suggestions for how to ship the cookies to soldiers. These maple and raisin cookies, called “love and kisses” cookies in the pamphlet are just one of those recipes.
Maple & Raisin Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 tsp Burnett’s Maple flavoring
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp soda
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375, and prep a few cookie sheets with a bit of shortening to grease them.
The recipe calls for washing and chopping the raisins fine. Then in a large pot combine the syrup, shortening, sugar, maple syrup and raisins, bringing them up to a boil for three minutes and then setting aside to cool. In a separate bowl combine your dry ingredients.
Then in a mixer, on a slow speed begin combining the dry and wet ingredients. Form them into small balls and place them on the cookie sheet with enough space between that they can spread out. Cook for 7 minutes, making sure they have cooked through fully. Let cookies cool, and then serve!
