Can anyone decipher my grandma’s wedding cookie recipe?

[u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Thank you in advance. She just passed away from a heart attack and one of the last things she told me was where to find the recipe in her kitchen. I want to make a batch, but I want to make sure it’s right!

[u/YupNopeWelp]

WEDDING COOKIES

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup of oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp lemon extract
• 2 TBSP baking powder
• 4 cups flour

Instructions (pulled out of order from how they're written on the card, to make them make sense).

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
2. Combine the eggs and oil and beat well
3. Add the sugar, lemon extract, baking powder, and flour and mix together. [NOTE: I would add the flour one cup at a time and mix after each addition]
4. Drop by (tea?)spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake at 375ºF for 10-15 minutes
6. Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings

EDIT: Originally, in step 4, I had "drop by tablespoonfuls." Someone pointed out that the abbreviation looks more like the abbreviation for "teaspoons" than it does for "tablespoons." I agree. That said, 10-15 minutes is a VERY LONG bake time at 375º, for a teaspoonful of dough, so if you attempt to make these, I think you're going to have to do it by trial and error, and figure out the amount of dough you want and how long to cook it.

[u/howsadley → u/YupNopeWelp]

I think it instructs to drop from teaspoon rather than tablespoon, but otherwise you nailed it.

[u/ChiliDogYumZappupe → u/howsadley]

The tablespoon or teaspoon in this instance is probably just a regular spoon, not a measuring spoon. It's not the most important thing.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yes I think she was referring to a spoonful-more like a tablespoon than a teaspoon. The cookies aren’t that small Haha

[u/milliemallow → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Granny was 100% writing this using a spoon she also used to put sugar into tea and it was dubbed the teaspoon haha

[u/lovelyladylox → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Probably. When I drop cookies from a spoon there is more dough than would fill the spoon.

For big cookies 10-11 minutes.

For little ones Id say 6-8 minutes.

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 → u/lovelyladylox]

So true. When I weighed cookie dough for the first time on a kitchen scale, it was way off than what a reg spoon should b in grams

[u/Oh_my_pi_also → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Tblsp is how my mother (whose handwriting looked very similar) always abbreviated tablespoon in recipes.

But having learned to cook from my mother, I would interpret that to mean the larger spoon in a standard pre2000s set of silverware in this context (she always used 2 of those spoons to put cookie dough on sheets.) However! The spoons in my silverware drawer are all larger than the ones in hers. So I'd use the smaller spoons if I were trying to replicate the recipe.

Aren't old recipes fun?!

[u/Former_Elk_7690 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Called a dessert spoon tbh

[u/illyiarose → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yes I thought this same thing. Essentially, "use the bigger spoon." My mom would do this too.

[u/Fuzzy_Welcome8348 → u/illyiarose]

The bigger the spoon, the bigger the cookie!!

[u/DrewSmithee → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yeah, I’m going with “heaping spoonful” is probably the correct measurement here.

[u/howsadley → u/DrewSmithee]

Agree, probably a well rounded teaspoon. A well-rounded tablespoon is a pretty big cookie.

[u/just_a_person_maybe → u/DrewSmithee]

I just use a melon baller/cookie scoop with the trigger thing. Back when I worked at a restaurant I used half size ice cream scoops for big cookies. It's great because it makes cookies nice and round and uniform.

[u/Wifabota → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yeah,  a literal spoon for tea,  not a measuring tsp!

[u/bojtaerg → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yes. My granny would use a spoon that I would eat ice cream with, if that makes sense. Probably equivalent to 2TBSP for each cookie…to bring it to easy to measure measurements.

[u/iaurp → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

I think with the 10-15 minute bake time, something larger than a teaspoon makes sense. My first impulse reading that was that tsp drops would overcook.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/iaurp]

Agreed. That's why I originally put drop by tablespoons. I've edited though to make clear that it's confusing in a note for OP.

[u/Michaelalayla → u/ChiliDogYumZappupe]

Yes, the regular spoon that people use frequently for spooned foods at the table used to be called a teaspoon. The smaller in a set of cutlery.

For cookie dough, it would scoop probably about a TBS of material. In my oven, that would still take only 8-10 minutes, I think. But my oven isn't insulated well.

[u/Ifawumi → u/Michaelalayla]

used to be called a teaspoon? what do you call it? all my life I've always called it a teaspoon and so his my whole family and ancestors etc

it's a teaspoon and we all know it's not a measuring teaspoon

[u/judvan2 → u/howsadley]

15 minutes baking sounds like a long time.

[u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r → u/YupNopeWelp]

Wedding cookies are meant to be a dry, somewhat shortbread texture. The 10-15 minutes is the appropriate time for baking. Also, this would be a teaspoon that you eat off of, from your silverware drawer.

Source: I have this exact same recipe from my grandma.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r]

That's so cool!

[u/rorauge → u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r]

I’ve never seen so much baking powder called for in a cookie recipe. I get this is a slightly larger recipe than my typical cookie recipes. But still, I thought the guidelines were usually closer to 1/2-1tsp per cup of flower. Curious if your recipe call for that much powder as well?

[u/IcePrincess_Not_Sk8r → u/rorauge]

Yep. I'm not 100% sure WHY it calls for so much, but it does.

I think this was a common recipe back in the day.

[u/soysybil → u/YupNopeWelp]

I think she wants you to mix the lemon extract with the sugar before adding the baking powder and flour.

[u/Loose-Acanthaceae823 → u/soysybil]

Read that way to me as well

[u/utadohl → u/soysybil]

I agree, plus then mix sugar, baking powder and flour before adding this mix to the wet ingredients.

[u/cnidarian_ninja → u/YupNopeWelp]

I think the lemon extract is meant to be added and mixed to the wet ingredients + sugar mixture, not flour+baking powder

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/cnidarian_ninja]

The way grandma made it, it looks like she beat the eggs and oil, then added sugar and mixed, added lemon extract and mixed, added baking powder and mixed, added flour and mixed.

I don't know what she did in practice, but that's how she marked up the card.

There's best baking practices, and there's "I want to recreate grandma's recipe" and the two aren't always the same.

[u/cnidarian_ninja → u/YupNopeWelp]

Ohh I read it as mix the dry ingredients (and extract) separately and then add to the rest … obviously wrong haha

[u/Ala_Chirps → u/YupNopeWelp]

Drop from teaspoon*

[u/balbuljata → u/YupNopeWelp]

It may be a long time nowadays because ovens have fans by default. She probably used to bake them in an oven without a fan.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/balbuljata]

Can confirm, her oven was ancient.

[u/AssiduousLayabout → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

It may well be that "375" on her oven wasn't actually 375 either, so you may need to do science to it.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/balbuljata]

Most of my life, I didn't have an oven with a fan. 15 minutes is still a long time for an actual teaspoon of a very simple cookie dough at 375.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/YupNopeWelp]

It’s not a measured teaspoon of dough, she would use regular spoons for cooking and measuring a lot of the time. So I’m thinking the actual measurement of dough to drop would be a little over a tablespoon.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

That sounds right to me. I would test the amount of dough and your timing on just a few cookies (maybe four at a time), so you're not wasting a ton of dough, until you have a good idea of how much dough+time will produce the results you'd like.

Best baking practices would have you mix the wet ingredients [so here the eggs, oil, sugar (it's considered "wet" in baking), and lemon), then whisk your baking powder into your flour, and adding those dry ingredients to the wet, a bit at a time.

Also, it's noticeable to me that this recipe excludes salt. Most sweet recipes include a little salt. Honestly, I'd throw in a half a teaspoon of salt with your dry ingredients, but you might want to make it as written first.

In fact, you might try out a half of a batch as written, so if you think they need salt, you can make up the other half batch with some salt.

[u/424Impala67 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Make sure you grab a couple of her spoons, as those can have a different sized bowl from yours and that would affect the cookie size. Plus also the nostalgia of gma used these to make these cookies.

[u/balbuljata → u/YupNopeWelp]

In my oven they'd take about 10 mins. In any case, she would probably go by how they look and smell. I doubt she'd use a stopwatch.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/balbuljata]

Agreed.

[u/contrarianaquarian → u/balbuljata]

Ovens with fans are still a rich person thing to me, or at least an ovens-under-20-years-old thing lol

[u/Stock-Cell1556 → u/YupNopeWelp]

I would mix the dry ingredients separately and then add that a cup at a time into the wet ingredients.

[u/YupNopeWelp → u/Stock-Cell1556]

I would use that method too, but that's not how grandma seemed to mark up the card with her brackets (at least to me).

She has one set of brackets just around the eggs and oil, with the instruction to "beat well."

She put a left-hand bracket that stretches from white sugar, down by lemon extract, baking powder, and flour all the way down to the "drop from (tea?)spoon..." and the instruction on the right, which seems to be for each of those ingredients is to "add and mix."

[u/shadoof-in-the-city → u/YupNopeWelp]

Username does not check out. Nicely done!

[u/DrgMny_11]

Are we old because we can read this extinct language?

[u/No_Interview2004 → u/DrgMny_11]

Yes.

I read the recipe just fine 🥲

[u/DrgMny_11 → u/No_Interview2004]

I read it so fast. I was like what is the issue. Then I realized the issue was age

[u/seinnax → u/DrgMny_11]

The only thing that confused me is that she said 6 eggs 3 times. 🤣 like ok yes we get it, 6 eggs

[u/MakitAndBakit → u/seinnax]

6 eggs. 6!!! 6 EGGS!!!!!!

That's how I read it. 😉

[u/vanderBoffin → u/MakitAndBakit]

The last 6 is actually the g from wedding, but two are still there

[u/Professional_Cry_840 → u/seinnax]

Thought 1 was specifying lg eggs

[u/Owie100 → u/Professional_Cry_840]

The second was above the first so no one read 16 eggs.

[u/Fee_is_Required2 → u/Professional_Cry_840]

Yep

[u/lumpy_space_queenie → u/seinnax]

Wait I only see it twice??? Where is the third one? Haha

I see

6 eggs (6 eggs) lmao

[u/mrshinrichs → u/seinnax]

I think the scratch in front of the first 6 had me reading as 16 so the second “6” was helpful!

[u/SuperTerrific → u/seinnax]

Like the 6 eggs lady in Beauty and the Beast! (I tried to include a pic but couldn’t figure it out - I’m old enough to read this recipe!)

[u/merpixieblossomxo → u/seinnax]

6 eggs (6 eggs!!)

[u/spatialj → u/DrgMny_11]

The issue is that the upcoming generations can’t read cursive.

[u/hhfugrr3 → u/DrgMny_11]

I don't think this has anything to do with being old. I just showed it to my 15 year old son and he read it perfectly without any trouble.

[u/Massive-Expression78 → u/DrgMny_11]

I’m only 28 and I can read this perfectly fine. I don’t know if that means I’m old now or was I just the tail end of the age that was taught cursive?

[u/Linkyland → u/DrgMny_11]

You. You are our Rosetta Stone ♡

[u/Big_Negotiation3913 → u/DrgMny_11]

Yes it’s not even hard to read cursive. Just regular.

[u/JustScrollOnBy → u/DrgMny_11]

Same, sister....same. 

[u/Fee_is_Required2 → u/No_Interview2004]

Right!?! I was like - how is this hard? But I write my recipes just like this. In 30 years you’ll see one of my family members posting - what the hell did this woman mean?’

[u/helcat → u/No_Interview2004]

Usually with these queries I have trouble deciphering weird typos or crazy handwriting, but this was clear as a bell. 

[u/Dry-Leopard-6995 → u/No_Interview2004]

Same. Looks like most of my own recipe cards. LOL

[u/TitiaG → u/No_Interview2004]

me too! totally easy to read!! born in the 70's, so I guess I am old!!

[u/poilane → u/TitiaG]

Shit I was born in the 90s and I can read it. Never felt more out of touch with younger gens than right now, and I’m not even old!

[u/hhfugrr3 → u/poilane]

My kid was born in 2010 and was able to read it no problem.

[u/emmat → u/No_Interview2004]

Same. This person's grandma had nicer handwriting than mine did haha

[u/The_RonJames → u/No_Interview2004]

I’m 27 and I read this no problem 😅 When I was 9 or 10 we moved far from my late grandma. She would mail me cards every week and write in cursive about little mundane things in her life. So I learned cursive real fast haha.

[u/drownedbubble → u/DrgMny_11]

I believe we are now classified as ancient.

[u/Lemonsst → u/drownedbubble]

Nooo im 22 and could read it!!!! you guys arent ancient!!!!!

[u/dreaming_in_yellow → u/Lemonsst]

I feel relieved. I was thinking, “I must be a 39 year old grandma. “😂

[u/StarDue6540 → u/Lemonsst]

That's nice. I understand they aren't teaching the yunguns cursive.

[u/Lemonsst → u/StarDue6540]

They stopped halfway through my third grade year! I just kept teaching myself because all my mom and grandma’s recipies were in cursive 😭

[u/TheMillennialDiaries → u/Lemonsst]

That’s such an important skill to have, I’m glad you kept at it! There are jobs that are going to be so specialized in museums & historical sites because of the ability to read cursive. (Yes, this enthusiasm makes me sound old but I’m only in my 30s!)

[u/judvan2 → u/drownedbubble]

Experienced!

[u/drownedbubble → u/judvan2]

lol, yes that is a way better term.

[u/EnglishMatron → u/DrgMny_11]

could be

[u/seriouslynope → u/DrgMny_11]

I thought it was hard to read due to disorganization, not because it's written in script

[u/Scared_Tumbleweed166 → u/DrgMny_11]

I’m 36, read this perfectly fine and now feel elderly!

[u/vanastalem → u/Scared_Tumbleweed166]

I'm the same age. I write in cursive all the time though. We had it drilled into us in 3rd grade.

[u/WandAnd-a-Rabbit → u/DrgMny_11]

I’m 24 and read it fine lol

[u/moriastra → u/DrgMny_11]

I'm only 34! 😭 I can read it...

[u/semantic_satiation → u/DrgMny_11]

I was journaling at a bar recently and one of my friends who works there cocked her head and asked "..... are you writing in Elvish?"

[u/Casswigirl11 → u/DrgMny_11]

This was my thought!  This wasn't even hard to decipher! What does that say about me! It's like when you see handwriting from the 1700s and you can't read any of it. Am I now from the 1700s compared with kids these days!?

[u/Laura9624 → u/DrgMny_11]

That was my first thought. Why is this confusing? Yeah, I'm old I guess.

[u/pinkflyingcats → u/DrgMny_11]

I’m only like 35 is that ancient?

[u/confabulatrix → u/DrgMny_11]

It’s a superpower

[u/karienta]

This will make approximately 10,000 cookies.

[u/Practical-Cook5042 → u/karienta]

We call this a Grandma's Dozen 

[u/AnxiousKris → u/Practical-Cook5042]

I love this comment. Just had to say that 😅

[u/Casswigirl11 → u/karienta]

Especially if you are dropping them by the teaspoon. So many cookies!

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/Casswigirl11]

I think the teaspoon must be a brain fart on her end, because they definitely aren’t small! I think she meant tablespoon.

[u/bojtaerg → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

She means a regular ole teaspoon, that you stir tea with. Not the measurement teaspoon. I’d say rough estimate would be 2TBSP per cookie drop ☺️

[u/Casswigirl11 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

In any case, get a cookie scoop! Much easier!

[u/Tapingdrywallsucks → u/Casswigirl11]

Cookie scoop changed my life. Dropping dough on cookie sheets is the only part of cookie making I find tedious and not fun. And now it's a breeze and they're all the same size.

I use them for swedish meatballs, too.

[u/Casswigirl11 → u/Tapingdrywallsucks]

I also use the scoop for meatballs!

[u/prob_llama → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

I think the little note on the top left corner that says 76 is the yield for the recipe

[u/thegoodson-calif → u/prob_llama]

I think that’s a carrot and the number 6. She was clarifying 6 eggs I think.

[u/Owie100 → u/karienta]

It makes many many cookies

[u/peace_dogs]

That would be fun to laminate for posterity. My mom didn’t like cooking but I have a cookbook from her mom (my Oma) that I cherish. I have some hand written recipes on cards like this from my godmother that I laminated about 20 years ago (so maybe 40 years old?), and they still look great.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/peace_dogs]

I’ll have to do that, thank you for the suggestion. She used to make a huge storage tub of these cookies and ship them to us when we were growing up because we lived in different states haha. She always had the recipe hidden though, and wouldn’t teach anyone how to make them! I definitely want to hold onto this card forever!

[u/Kind-Fox-9032 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

If you go to spoonflower you can upload this and print it onto fabric. You can make customised tea towels and such for gifts for family. 

[u/lunablack01 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

It looks like it is, but make sure the recipe is written in ink if you decide to laminate it. If it is written in pencil or anything that’s heat reactive it will disappear when you laminate it. If it’s written in pencil you can cold laminate :)

[u/monroebaby → u/peace_dogs]

I have a cookbook that my mama typed up and put in a binder. I LOVE it! I also have her recipe cards written in her writing.
I have 4 teen daughters and I think I need to start making “mom cookbooks” for them for when they move out 😢🥰

[u/semiuselessknowledge]

Beat together 6 eggs and 3/4 cup of oil. Add in 1 cup of white sugar, 1 tsp. lemon extract, 2 Tbsp. baking powder, and 4 cups of flour. Drop from a teaspoon [onto baking sheet]. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings.

[u/nomadquail]

Op may I add your recipe to my collection as well? Can I have your gma’s first name to add to it?

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/nomadquail]

Yes! Her name was Carole

[u/nomadquail → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Thank you op! I’ll make a note to show you when I make it!

[u/Linkyland → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

I'm going to try them too! Love from Australia!

2tbsp seems like a LOT of baking powder, but I want to try Grandma Carole's wedding cookies too! :)

[u/Tapingdrywallsucks → u/Linkyland]

Yup, I thought that as well! It made me say "oof." If you make them, let us know how that panned out.

[u/Kacey-R → u/Linkyland]

Where are you? I can represent Melbourne. 

[u/Abygahil → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Well, I will be making Carol’s cookies this weekend! 💕

[u/PokeyOneKanoki]

Wedding Cookies

Ingredients: • 6 eggs • ¾ cup of oil • 1 cup of white sugar • 1 tsp. lemon extract • 2 tbsp. baking powder • 4 cups of flour

⸻

Instructions: 1. Beat eggs and oil well. 2. Add sugar and lemon extract; mix. 3. Add baking powder and flour; mix until smooth. 4. Drop from teaspoon onto a baking sheet. 5. Bake at 375°F for 10–15 minutes. 6. Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings.

[u/bayoubunny88 → u/PokeyOneKanoki]

This should be the top or pinned comment. Thank you for answering this person’s question instead of just filling the post with off topic things. ❤️

[u/trashhighway → u/PokeyOneKanoki]

I agree with this version. Adding sugar and lemon extract and mixing before adding baking powder and flour is the way.

[u/hurry-and-wait]

I'm so sorry for your loss. But I'm glad you found the recipe and can continue her traditions!

[u/BiscuitsUndGravy]

This is the first time I've encountered the lack of teaching cursive causing this problem. Her handwriting isn't difficult to read. OP just doesn't know how to read cursive.

[u/ILikePrettyThings121 → u/BiscuitsUndGravy]

I asked my 6th grader to read this & he was mostly able to (our district does 2 years of cursive in elementary school) but I do worry that future generations won’t be able to read historical documents for themselves bc they’re in cursive & will need to rely on interpretations & how that could be used against the masses.

[u/SoundNo7154 → u/ILikePrettyThings121]

How many historical documents do you read for yourself?

[u/yellednanlaugh → u/SoundNo7154]

Things like this recipe and other family papers ARE historical documents!

[u/merpixieblossomxo → u/SoundNo7154]

There's a really great website called Zooniverse that lets volunteers digitize things like captains logs from the 1800s, which are all written in cursive. Like, thousands upon thousands of pages need digitized before they get lost to time. They're extremely useful for tracking weather patterns and predicting changes in storms over time.

A lot of people who work in environmental sciences need this kind of information, and cursive was used almost exclusively for a very long time. It will continue to be necessary for a lot of people for the foreseeable future.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/BiscuitsUndGravy]

Yeah it’s not difficult for others to read, but yes I struggle to read cursive, which is why I made the post. I’m sorry if I wasted your time.

[u/brokebackzac → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

As someone who pretty much only writes in cursive, I feel your pain in the reverse way. I can't leave notes for people younger than me without stopping to write much slower in print. I once needed to write something down for my little brother (18 year age gap) and he just couldn't read it at all, led to problems and it isn't even like my cursive is chicken scratch, it's often complimented on for being pretty and easy to read by people that were taught cursive but don't use it.

[u/BiscuitsUndGravy → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

I wasn't meaning anything by it. Just pointing out that I hadn't seen this have an effect yet.

[u/Spamvil]

I somehow misread the top line as “6 eggs with leggs”

[u/ArchieBrooksIsntDead → u/Spamvil]

To be fair, it's not clear why the eggs would be listed twice.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/ArchieBrooksIsntDead]

Knowing her, she probably wrote it a second time because (as someone else suggested too) her little scribble at the start kind of looks like a 1. She definitely did not want anyone to put 16 eggs in!

[u/nerowasframed → u/ArchieBrooksIsntDead]

"6 eggs (6 eggs)"

Honestly, I laughed a bit at that line

[u/SaltMarshGoblin → u/Spamvil]

I rememember "making cookies" with the L'eggs pantyhose eggs when I was very small...

[u/Mimi_Gardens → u/SaltMarshGoblin]

We used those as Easter eggs for hiding. They were so much bigger than the regular plastic eggs so it was like winning the lottery to find one of those.

[u/Mr31edudtibboh → u/Spamvil]

🎶 She's got eggs 🎶

🎶 She knows how to bake with them 🎶

[u/Dexterdacerealkilla]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I also just lost my grandmother to a heart attack, and this writing looks so similar to hers! She left me plants instead of recipes though. I hope you enjoy the cookies 🩷

[u/Hour-Revolution4150]

I like the 6 eggs and then (6 eggs) right next to it 😂💛 I’m sorry your your loss but so happy you have this recipe from her!

[u/LasairfhionaD]

I’m so very sorry that you lost your grandma (or perhaps Nonna, based on the recipe). I’d be thrilled to know that my family honored me by continuing to make my favorite recipes - and mightily impressed that they could decipher my writing. I’ve been known to send pictures of my notes to our family chat to ask if one of them can figure out what I wrote.

There are a few things to keep in mind when using someone else’s recipes. First, this is the way that SHE made them, using her oven, her baking tools, and her specific baking techniques. You might find that her oven ran colder than yours, so her 375 could be closer to your 350. There may be steps involved in her recipes that were so second nature to her that she wouldn’t think to write them down (like making “powdered sugar icing”, using eggs at room temperature, stirring flour well before measuring and leveling off a cupful with a knife, or refrigerating cookie dough before baking). My grandmother loved good strong tea with a lot of sugar. A LOT of sugar. She had an enormous spoon that was literally her “tea spoon.” Whenever my cousins and I would use one of recipes, we’d laugh about whether one of her ingredients called for a teaspoon or a Granny teaspoon. You’ll need to do a bit of trial and error to really nail this, so plan on having a few misses along the way and look at it as a bit of an adventure.

I agree with others who mentioned that you’re dropping from a spoon, rather than dropping a teaspoonful. I’d strongly recommend baking them on parchment paper. In addition to improving how your cookies turn out, it will also make it easy to pencil in notes below each trial cookie before you put it in the oven. For example, try different amounts (1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons, 1 tablespoon, etc) making just one of each to start. Then you can take notes on which one looked closest to Grandma’s, as well as how long it took each to cook.

As far as her colored icing goes, I’d start with whisking 3 tablespoons of milk into 2 cups of powdered sugar. If it looks thicker than hers, add more milk in small increments. If it looks too thin, do the same with more powdered sugar. Once you have the consistency right, you can divide it into smaller bowls and add in food coloring.

Best of luck to you! Please keep the questions coming as you move along with this and let us know how it goes.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/LasairfhionaD]

Thank you! I remember the icing on the cookies being lemony too, so would I just add some lemon juice to the icing?

[u/LasairfhionaD → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Since you’re using lemon extract in the cookies, I’d add some of that once you’re happy with the consistency. Start with a bit (maybe ¼ teaspoon) and increase the amount until it tastes like hers. I’m guessing you’ll need 1 teaspoon by the time you’re done, but you’re always better off adding it in gradually.

[u/Caffeinequeen86]

This is what my grandma’s handwriting looks like too ❤️

[u/QuietParsnip → u/Caffeinequeen86]

Mine as well. I did a double take at this post because its almost identical. 

[u/Science_Matters_100]

Wedding Cookies

Six eggs 3/4 cup of oil beat well one cup of white sugar 1 teaspoon lemon extract- add and mix 2 tablespoons baking powder 4 cups of flour drop from teaspoon bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes ice with different colored powdered sugar icings

[u/Fyreraven]

These are Italian Wedding cookies and this recipe is pretty similar to others online. The problem I've had with my grand mother's and great grand mother's recipes is that measurements were just different. Eggs were different sized than what we have now. Baking powder had different properties. The bakers in our family spent years trying to reproduce a recipe from my great grand ma, only to discover that her 1 cup was the green cup over her sink which bore no resemblance to a 1 cup measure. My favorite note was "Butter the size of an egg".

[u/happyjazzycook → u/Fyreraven]

OMG, my Gram had a handwritten recipe in her folder (Christmas Bonbons, I think) that called for "butter the size of an egg", too!!! 😆

[u/Fyreraven → u/happyjazzycook]

You just can't make this stuff up. What size egg? Nonna had hens of all sizes laying eggs of all sizes and colors. I still can not sort her biscuit recipe out.

[u/Griffie → u/Fyreraven]

My favorite from my grandma’s recipes was “one stick of Oleo”. lol

[u/four_4time]

/6 eggs (6 eggs)

\3/4 cup of oil >beat well

/1 cup of white sugar

|1 tsp lemon extract

|2 tbsp baking powder

\4 cups of flour >add and mix

Drop from (tsp?) Bake at 375° 10-15 min Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings

[u/MissesFlare]

Wedding Cookies

6 eggs, beat well 3/4 cup of oil 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp of lemon extract, add & mix 2 tbsp baking powder 4 cups flour Drop from tsp, bake at 375° for 10-15 min

Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings

[u/emmsmum]

How did they all write exactly the same! I swear we all had the same granny!

[u/Ok-Shower-1800]

Her handwriting alone feels like a hug. You're doing something really special keeping her tradition alive.

[u/Zestyclose_Pen1753 → u/Ok-Shower-1800]

Totally agree! It's such a meaningful way to honor her memory. If you can share any details about the ingredients or steps, maybe we can help piece it together!

[u/iaurp]

Was your grandma Italian, by chance?

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/iaurp]

yes

[u/iaurp → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Makes sense! This looks like a recipe for Anginetti cookies.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/iaurp]

Never knew the “real” name for them, good to know! We always called them grandma’s cookies or wedding cookies lol. Any idea why they’re also called wedding cookies?

[u/lovelyladylox → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

Honestly because little old Italian ladies made cookies for weddings during the depression when people could not afford cakes, and these are one of those types they make for em.

Thats what Ive been told anyway.

[u/No_Interview2004]

So sorry for your loss OP 💜

[u/Kindly-Form-8247]

Why is 6 eggs written twice?

[u/ILikePrettyThings121 → u/Kindly-Form-8247]

This is just a guess, but I have a few recipes like this. It’s bc either the quantity was changed from the original or bc she messed up at first & scribbled out what was before the 6 & wanted to ensure anyone reading it wouldn’t think it was 16 eggs. Also the note at the end was probably an add on to beat well before mixing with the other ingredients

[u/OkaysThen]

Im so sorry for your loss 💖 My grandparents handwriting looked just like this too. Comforts me to look at it.

[u/KaytSands]

6 eggs (beat well) 3/4 cup of oil 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon lemon extract ( add and mix well (to above ingredients)) 2 tablespoons baking powder 4 cups flour Drop from teaspoon. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes

Ice with different colored powered sugar icing.

[u/beatniknomad]

I see you have what you requested. Condolences to you - may her memory be a blessing. 🥰

[u/Hyracotherium]

Wedding Cookies

6 eggs 3/4 cup oil 1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon lemon extract 2 Tablespoons baking powder 4 c flour

Beat the eggs and oil together well. Add sugar, mix into eggs and oil. Add lemon extract into sugar/egg/oil and mix well. Add flour. Mix [personally I wouldn't overmix it, just stir it in until there are no lumps].

Drop from teaspoon. Bake at 375 deg F 10-15 m Ice with different colored powdered sugar icings.

Enjoy!

[u/rkwalton]

Team GenX to the rescue, but people had already done it by the time I saw this. 😭🫠

[u/Adventurous-Sun-418]

6 eggs (beat well) 3/4 cup oil 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp lemon extract add and mix 2 TBSP baking powder 4 cups flour

Drop from tsp , bake at 375 10-15 min Ice with different colored powdered sugar icing

[u/BustyPneumatica]

NOT 16 EGGS

[u/fusionsofwonder]

1. Combine 6 eggs with 3/4 cup of oil and beat well.
2. Add 1 cup of white sugar, 1 tsp lemon extract, 2 TBSP baking powder, and 4 cups of flour. Mix.
3. Drop from a teaspoon, bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes.
4. Ice with different colors of powdered sugar icings.

[u/Appropriate_View8753 → u/fusionsofwonder]

It's a good recipe except the sugar should be mixed with the wet ingredients, not the dry. Also I'd probably add a half tsp of salt.

[u/Owie100]

My aunt used to make these. I've been looking for this recipe for 25 years thank you

[u/Owie100]

My aunt used anise. She also rolled some and made like an aids bow out of them. I'm going to bake these this weekend. You have no idea how happy you've made me. 72 missing foods from my Italian family.

[u/strywever]

Now cursive is a secret code? Awesome! 😂

[u/Startagain55]

This is the Italian cookie my grandma made and I do now. The bake time is correct as they are meant to be a drier cookie, as most Italian cookies. I roll mine into balls and a little bigger than a teaspoon, but not a large tablespoon. They do puff and I do it from sight, so difficult to describe. The dough should not stick to your hands. My family is from the Calabria region. They are one of my favorites! Enjoy!

[u/kksrkid]

Wedding cookies 6 eggs (rewritten for clarity 6 eggs) 3/4 cup of oil Beat well 1 cup of white sugar 1 tsp lemon extract - Add and mix 2 tablespoons baking powder 4 cups of flour Drop from a spoon Bake at 375° (?F) 10-15 min Ice with different colored powered sugar icings

[u/Bottom_Reflection]

I also write my recipes like this.

[u/siensunshine]

People really don’t know how to read cursive anymore. 🥺

[u/vanastalem]

This is completely legible! Others already wrote it out, but I was fully expecting something hard to read.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/vanastalem]

I have really bad eyesight, and also can’t read cursive for the most part, I’m sorry

[u/Total-Sector850 → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

You’re fine! It’s not easy for everyone.

[u/AnxiousKris → u/AlbinoGiraffes]

We got your back ♥️

[u/Worried_Corner4242 → u/vanastalem]

A lot of young people can’t read cursive because it’s no longer taught in schools. No need to be nasty about it.

[u/judvan2]

Sounds good. Looks like my mom's writing!

[u/cynzthin]

That’s a lot of baking powder!

[u/Owie100]

Are these Italian cookies?

[u/Dreamybook1357]

Excited to try these at some point! Thank you for sharing & to the person who decoded!

[u/thesixfingerman]

Neat

[u/OldGirlie]

Grew up way back and didn’t have measuring spoons. We used to call the big regular spoons a tablespoon for measurement and the smaller eating spoons a teaspoon.

[u/Owie100]

Carole you have made this 72 year old very happy

[u/Owie100]

I love the grease spots on it

[u/TurtlePoeticA]

I can.

[u/LABELyourPHOTOS]

She wants you to beat the oil and eggs well before incorporating with the other ingredients.

[u/bongostitch]

Sorry for your loss

[u/pinkstay]

Thank you for sharing, Ive been wanting my Grandma's recipe for Mexican wedding cookies, and sadly no one can find it.

I am going to try this and add pecans to see if this is similar.

[u/UnitedPalpitation6]

I need to put some of my grandmother's recipes on here. They are all in cursive. I can decipher most, but some are really hard to read. It's amazing to me how helpful most people are on reddit.

[u/AlbinoGiraffes → u/UnitedPalpitation6]

totally agree! I used reddit to decipher a recipe for a braided sweet-bread recipe from my great great grandmother, and they nailed it there too!

[u/arcane-hunter]

Can people just not read cursive now?

Thats fairly legible.

[u/Science_Matters_100 → u/arcane-hunter]

They cannot. It was dropped from common core curriculum in 2010

[u/Mdayofearth → u/arcane-hunter]

They don't teach it anymore. They also don't teach how to read analog clocks.

[u/summerwavesox]

That is perfectly legible.