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Great-Grandmother Tenery's Oatmeal Cookies 1880


In 1988, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas gathered hundreds of old recipes from the early days of Texas and published them as A Pinch of This and a Handful of That. I have loved browsing through this  collection of pioneer recipes and household tips ("Clothes which have a bad odor may be wrapped up and buried for a day or two in the ground to remove the odor" and, "To heal chapped hands, rub them with buffalo tallow").



When I spotted this recipe, I knew I had to try it. These are definitely Great-Grandmother-worthy cookies...buttery and crisp around the edges, rich and chewy in the middle, and a perfect balance of raisins, pecans, and dough. They really are some of the best cookies I've ever eaten.

I used old-fashioned oats in my cookies because that's probably what Great-Grandmother Tenery used: quick cooking oats were not developed until the 1920s.




Great-Grandmother Tenery's Oatmeal Cookies
Navarro County, Texas, 1880

Ingredients:


1 cup butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup light brown sugar)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (I added this- it was not in the original recipe)
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raisins

Here are the exact instructions, as written: "Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time and beat thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients three times and add to creamed mixture with oatmeal, pecans, and raisins. Drop on greased tins, and bake in moderate oven for 15 minutes".


I added: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Although the directions did not specify, I stirred the vanilla in right after the eggs. Bake on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet for 13 to 14 minutes or until just starting to brown (the longer they bake, the crispier they get). I dropped dough by rounded tablespoon-fulls. This made about 42 large (3.5"), delicious cookies.





Recipe from: Seconds of A Pinch of This and a Handful of That, 1830-1900 by The Daughters of the Republic of Texas.



These cookies may have been taken to some of these fun parties!






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89 comments:

  1. Hey there! Stopping by from the Blog Hop and I just liked your facebook page! Hope you'll check mine out; you can find it here:

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cropped-Stories/615495055132216

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    1. Thank you! I am very happy to be following you back! :)

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  2. How wonderful! I love making recipes that have been handed down through the years. It means a little more when you are in the kitchen baking too. This recipe looks delicious and I will be trying it very soon. Thanks so much for sharing:)

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    1. Shannon, I love that you appreciate the old recipes, too! If you try these cookies, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Thanks for the visit! :)

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  3. I've never used cinnamon in an oatmeal cookie recipe. I will have to give it a try. Thanks for this recipe.

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    1. Hi, Susan! We really liked them- if you try them, I hope you do, too! :) Thanks so much for stopping by! :)

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  4. These look amazing! Following from the beautiful "love" humpday bloghop, would love a follow back :)

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    1. Hi, Natalie! Very happy to be following you back! :) Thanks for the visit!

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  5. Joy, I'll bet these Oatmeal cookies are just as delicious as they sound and look. I just adore vintage recipes so much! Thank you for sharing and have a wonderful week! ~Cindy@littlemisscelebration.com

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    1. Cindy, thank you so much- I think we are kindred spirits! Thank you for visiting, and I hope you have a wonderful week, too! :)

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  6. I am following yesterfood pinterest board. Your cookies look wonderful.

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    1. Thank you so much, and thanks for coming by! I am following you on Pinterest, too! :)

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  7. I don't have any old family recipes, so I love finding other family's recipes have have some history behind them. Thanks for sharing :)

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    1. Lisa, I'm kind of the same way; I just can't get enough of old recipes! :) I'm so glad you came by- thanks!

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  8. Ohhh, these look delish! Next on baking list...Found you at Let’s get social Sunday. New Follower. You can find me painting, decoring and baking on HickoryTrail

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    1. Angela, thank you so much! And I am happy to be following you back! :)

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  9. Oatmeal cookies are my first choice when there is a platter of different cookies....always reach for the oatmeal :) Beautiful pictures my friend!! Pinning this one...

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    1. Kay, you are always so wonderful to visit and pin- thank you so much! :)

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  10. Hi Joy. That is so cool that you have a recipe in your family that dates back to 1880! Pecans & raisins sound so good with oatmeal cookies! I make Oatmeal Cookies as well and these look delicious!

    Hugs,
    Heather
    www.My-Sweet-Mission.com

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    1. Thank you, Heather, and thanks for coming by! :)

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  11. I love recipes that have been handed down, or even stumbled upon. These look fabulous.

    Popping in from Oh, Mrs. Tucker!

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    1. Thank you, Patti, and thanks for dropping by! :)

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  12. Definitely saving this recipe! Thanks for sharing:)

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    1. Oh, thanks, Camille! If you make them, I hope you enjoy them! :)

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  13. I need an oatmeal recipe. Normally, I'm a chocolate chip baker, but need to test my skills on the oatmeal cookie and this one looks delicious! Saw you on the Spatulas and thought I had to check out those cookies.

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    1. Sharon, I love oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! I think the next time I get out this recipe, I will try it with chips instead of raisins- yum! :) I am so glad you came by- thanks! :)

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  14. That cookbook sounds like a treasure. I love looking through old recipes...although they can sometimes be frustrating to use due to unusual formats and missing ingredients. But I guess that's part of the charm. I haven't made oatmeal cookies in so long. Will give these a try. Thank you for linking this week, Joy!

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    1. Thank you, Michelle! Yes, some of the directions in old recipes are a little vague...such as, "take a piece of butter the size of an egg"... :)
      Thanks for a great party!

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  15. What a delightful cook book! I'm not a big raisin eater but I do love a good chocolate chip oatmeal cookie :-)

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    1. Mmmm, I love that combo, too! I may have to have some SOON!! Thank you so much for dropping by! :)

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  16. Oh my goodness! I am a huge cookie fan and I especially love heirloom recipes that have a history and that have been around for awhile, you just know that they're keepers! Thanks for sharing this, I just pinned :) Krista @ A Handful of Everything

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    1. Krista, thank you, and thanks for pinning! LOVE A Handful of Everything- we appreciate your great party! :)

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  17. What a wonderful cookie! Cannot wait to bake up a batch.

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    1. Thank you so much- I hope you love them! I was already following Carolina HeartStrings on FB, and am now following on Pinterest and Twitter as well! :)

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  18. Sounds yummy. With all those pecans and raisins you just couldn't go wrong!

    Laura
    Harvest Lane Cottage

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    1. Laura, I agree! I enjoyed my visit to your blog, and am now your newest email subscriber! Thank you so much for coming by! :)

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  19. What a great recipe to have, from so long ago. Thank you so much for sharing with Simple Supper Tuesday!

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    1. Thank you, Cindy, and thanks for hosting a great party! :)

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  20. These look yummy! I love old recipes! Thanks for linking up at the Tried and True Party! http://rediscovermom.blogspot.com/2013/05/tried-and-true-recipes-11.html

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    1. Thank you, Jackie, and thanks for the Tried and True Party! :)

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  21. Joy, this looks like such a fun blog - putting together history with cooking/baking! Good food brings people together, and holds so many memories. (And thanks for visiting me at Pursuing Heart!)

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    1. Thanks, Cherry, and thank you so much for dropping by! :)

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  22. Pinned ! These look so delicious, Joy :-) Thank you for sharing at our ALL MY BLOGGY FRIENDS party !

    Linda
    With A Blast

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    1. Thanks for pinning, Linda! And thanks for All My Bloggy Friends! :)

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  23. I just love the story behind these cookies. Thank you so much for sharing. I have a bowl of fresh walnuts sitting in my dining room calling out to me to be used in a cookie recipe. I think I'll substitute them for the pecans in this one. Found you via the Thriving on Thursdays link up at Domesblissity.
    Di
    www.lifeisdi-licious.com

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    1. Hi, Di! I'm so happy to meet you- thanks for coming by! If you make the cookies, I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! :)

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  24. Great story, great recipe! I actually know Navarro County! I lived in Dallas for many years!

    Thanks for dropping this off at the In and out of the Kitchen link party! I ca't wait to see what you come up with next week!

    Cynthia at http://FeedingBIg.com

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    1. Cynthia, that is so cool to know that you lived in Dallas! I don’t think I knew you were a Texas Sistah! Thanks for hosting In and Out of the Kitchen! :)

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  25. at first I thought this was a family recipe but how cool to have an old recipe like that I have never heard of that cookbook. I love and cherish my grandparent's recipes and hope my children will to. thanks for stopping by friday food frenzy this week http://www.stayingclosetohome.com/2013/05/recipe-swap-time-friday-food-frenzy.html

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    1. Thank you, Maria, and thanks for Friday Food Frenzy! :)

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  26. Hi Joy, Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and it's background. These kinds of stories is what makes cooking and baking worth while. Cookies are a staple and I love oatmeal cookies - but then again I love every cookie - so I'm certainly going to make this tried and true traditional cookie.

    Thank you for sharing this with Foodie Friends Friday Mother's Day party. We look forward to seeing you again with another delicious recipe.

    Happy Mother's Day,
    Joanne/Winelady Cooks

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    1. Oh, I agree, Joanne, these old recipes make it all that much more fun and rewarding! I always enjoy Foodie Friends Friday! :)

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  27. Love this! I hope you come over to thet2women.com on May 11th and add your link to the Linking Party. Here's the link: http://thet2women.com/welcome-to-one-sharendipity-place/

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    1. Thank you, Sue, and thanks for the invitation! :)

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  28. This is fabulous! I too love old cookbooks / memoirs with recipes, etc! :)

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    1. Thank you, Debra, and thanks for stopping by! I am your newest email subscriber! :)

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  29. Hi Joy,
    What a special treat and a joy to have! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a very special Mothers Day Weekend and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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    1. Thank you, Miz Helen, and Happy Mother's Day to you, too! :)

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  30. Your cookies do look delicious, especially with a nice fresh cup of coffee. My daughter has found some wonderful old cookbooks at the used book store with lots of wonderful notes and instructions written in them. Amara already has her first cookbook in which she is collecting recipes she likes, my sister made it for her! Happy Mother's Day!

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    1. Thank you!! Your daughter made such a lucky find- good for her! I'm so glad Amara is starting so young- that's really fun! :)

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  31. I love oatmeal cookies and these sound awesome Joy. Pinning them. Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday.

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    1. Thanks, Marlys, and thanks for pinning! :) I always enjoy Foodie Friends Friday!

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  32. I absolutely adore Oatmeal Cookies! Looks delicious. Your cookies were the #1 Most Clicked Recipe from Foodie Friends Friday this week! It will be featured on Daily Dish Magazine on Monday!

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    1. Lois, that’s great! Can’t wait to see it! Thanks for letting me know! :)

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  33. Your Oatmeal Cookies look absolutely amazing. I love the wonderful wholesome ingredients in them. Recipes like this are always so interesting. I love learning about food history. A Pinch of This and a Handful of That sounds like such an interesting book. I hope you'll cover more of the recipes in the future. Love the tip about the clothes too ;)

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    1. April, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoy the old recipes, too. Thanks for mentioning the tip about the clothes...it reminds me, I need to go dig mine up! ;)

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  34. Recipes that have been handed down generation to generation are the best! :) Thank you so much for linking up with me this week at Tasty Tuesdays! I’ve pinned this & shared it with my followers!

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    1. Anyonita, thanks so much, and thanks for sharing and pinning! I love Tasty Tuesdays! :)

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  35. YUM!!! This sounds delicious. You're featured tomorrow!
    Thanks for sharing at Tuesdays with a Twist at Back to the Basics. Hope to see you again tomorrow!

    http://back2basichealth.blogspot.com/search/label/Tuesdays%20with%20a%20Twist

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  36. Hi Joy,
    It's so very nice to meet you! I'm coming over from foodie friends friday. These cookies look so yummy! I hope to try them soon. I just liked your page on FB and look forward to seeing more of your recipes. I would love it when you get a chance to stop by my page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Young-Adventures/153028528072356 Have a good evening.

    Rachel

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    1. Hi, Rachel! So nice to meet you! Glad you came over from Foodie Friends Friday! I have visited your FB page and returned the like! :)

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  37. This looks wonderful! I can't wait to try them. Thanks for linking up with "Try a New Recipe Tuesday!" I hope you will be able to join us again this week.
    http://our4kiddos.blogspot.com/2013/05/try-new-recipe-tuesday-may-14.html

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    1. Thanks, Lisa- I hope you love them as much as I do! :) Thanks for the party invitation- I will be there!

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  38. yummm! I love oatmeal cookies, going to have to try these! Thank you for spreading JOY and sharing at the Oh What a HAPPY Day party.

    Holly at Not Done Growing

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    1. Thank you, Holly, and thanks for a great party! :)

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  39. How wonderful! I love that you bring us such wonderful heirloom, 'antique' and 'vintage' recipes. I have always been interested in women's lives in history...home making and their day to day lives...and cooking was so important. Thanks for linking up me :)

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    1. Connie, thank you so very much! Our foremothers were pretty amazing women; I love to learn about their lives, too. Thank you for coming by and for hosting great parties! :)

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  40. These sound great! I'm going to give them a try :) Now following. Blessings~~angela

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    1. Angela, I hope you like them as much as we do! :) I enjoyed my visit to your blog, and am happy to be following you back! Thank you so much for coming by!

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  41. I love all my gram's recipes.... they mean so much to make them now that she's gone. These cookies look delicious! Thank you so much for coming to share at Super Saturday Show & Tell! I'd love to have you come and share again today http://www.whatscookingwithruthie.com Have a great weekend! xoxo~ Ruthie

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  42. Hi Joy! Thanks for bringing these cookies to the #CakeFriday Coffee Klatch and spreading the word on twitter! Have a great weekend!!

    Christine

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    1. Thanks for hosting, Christine! Have a wonderful week! :)

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  43. These are delicious cookies! I substituted chocolate chips for the raisins and increased the salt to 1 tsp. Thanks so much for sharing.

    Jocelyn

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    1. Jocelyn, I bet they were great- I love the idea of chocolate chips! Thank you for letting me know you tried them, and thanks for coming by- I appreciate the visit! :)

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  44. I just booked marked this recipe and will be fixing it for my hubby. I am so glad you linked up on our Vintage Recipe Series. I would have never known what Buffalo Tallow was~~LOL

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    1. Shawna, they really are the best cookies I've ever made- my husband still talks about them! Aren't you glad the cookies don't have buffalo tallow in them?? ;)

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  45. I am always looking for a great oatmeal cookie recipe and have never really found one but this looks like it will be "the one". Crispy on the edges and soft in the middle is exactly what I am looking for. Pinning to my cooking bucket list! I think I also need some buffalo tallow because I have tried everything else with no good results! Thank you for sharing on the Easy Life Vintage Series.

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  46. Thank you so much for joining my party with your great grandmother oatmeal cookies! Your recipe is now featured in the Giant cookie party: http://www.delscookingtwist.com/2014/02/02/giant-cookie-party-with-a-twist/

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  47. Delicious cookies, thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning.

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