Molasses Drop Cookies

Directions

1. 1
   Grease baking sheets.
2. 2
   Start oven 10 minutes before baking, set to moderately hot at 400°.
3. 3
   Wash raisins and plump, then cool. Chop nuts. Sift flour, measure and resift 4 times with the next 5 ingredients.
4. 4
   Press brown sugar through a coarse sieve to remove lumps.
5. 5
   In a 3-quart mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening with wooden spoon until smooth.
6. 6
   Add sugar and cream well.
7. 7
   Scrape spoon.
8. 8
   Remove.
9. 9
   Beat in egg with rotary beater until fluffy. Then beat molasses until satiny.
10. 10
    Remove beater and use spoon. Stir in flour mixture and milk alternately in 2 or 3 portions beginning and ending with flour and mixing until smooth after each portion.
11. 11
    Stir in raisins and nuts until well distributed.
12. 12
    Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared sheet.
13. 13
    Bake about 10 minutes or until delicately browned.
14. 14
    Remove at once from sheet to cake rack.
15. 15
    When cool, store in box or jar with tight fitting lid with sheet of wax paper between each layer.
16. 16
    Yields 3 dozen.