Cookbook 5: The Joy of Cooking

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The Joy of Cooking, by  Irma S. Rombauer, was the first cookbook I ever used as a newlywed many many years ago. This book was not a cookbook I bought, but one I found in my then boyfriend's {now husband} book collection, I doubt he even knew he had it! I thumbed through it and found something I thought I could tackle for a dinner party I was throwing. I was YOUNG, and even though I came from a great line of entertainers I was a bit nervous about inviting the doctor and residents over for a dinner party. I was about 20. It is still one of my favorites, every once in a while I like to thumb through it and cook something for old times sake. The recipes are timeless and always come out perfectly.I suggest this to young cooks and brides as one of the first classics for their own cook book collections. The Joy of Cooking is one of the United States' most-published cookbooks, and has been in print continuously since 1936 and with more than 18 million copies sold. It was privately published in 1931 by Irma S. Rombauer, a homemaker in St. Louis, Missouri, who was struggling emotionally and financially after her husband's suicide the previous year. Rombauer had 3,000 copies printed by A.C. Clayton, a company which had printed labels for fancy St. Louis shoe companies and for Listerine, but never a book. In 1936, the book was picked up by a commercial printing house, the Bobbs-Merrill Company. Joy is the backbone of many home cooks' libraries and is commonly found in commercial kitchens as well.
Joy of Cooking's Oatmeal Cookies*my husband loves oatmeal cookies and these are wonderfulmakes 42 cookies
Ingredients:
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 lb butter, soft
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 3 1/2 cups rolled whole oats

    Method:
  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Sift (sifting is important!) flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg (its not in the recipe, but I add about 1/8-1/4 tsp of ground cloves, too) into a mixing bowl.
  • Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a hand mixer at medium speed.
  • Sift (yes, again!) flour mixture into butter mixture and mix well.
  • Fold in raisins (or chocolate chips or chocolate covered raisins) and oats.
  • Spoon 1.5 inch balls onto non-stick cookie sheet.
  • Bake at 350°F for 6-9 minutes, rotating half way through baking. (Should be lightly firm in the center when done) Be careful -- oatmeal raisin cookies don't look done when they are, so they are very easy to over cook (unless you want then to be crispy) :).

    make a note and add it to your collection.Buy this book herephoto found here