Directions: |
Directions:Add sugar to flour, cut in 1/2 cup only of the shortening, add egg yolks, water and mix well. Of the one pound can of shortening, only 1/2 C. goes into the dough when you mix it, the rest is used for spreading. Place the dough on plastic wrap and place on small plate and put in the refrigerator. Every hour, open the plastic wrap and spread a thick layer of the crisco shortening on top. Fold like an envelope, rewrap with plastic wrap and return to fridge. Do this every hour until all the crisco is used. Put dough back in the fridge for at least several more hours or up to 2 days. I have learned through the years that it is best to let the dough rest in the refrigerator overnight and make the cookies the next day -- the dough is easier to work with. When ready to begin to roll out on floured-covered surface, cut 1/4 of the dough off (keep remainder refrigerated) and quickly roll out dough to very thin -- about 1/8" thickness. Cut dough in strips about 8" long and 1/4" wide. (You should get about 25 strips this size out of each portion of the dough.) Wind each strip around a clean wooden Clothespin or a metal pastry form (available at kitchen stores) in a spiral, slightly overlapping edges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 5 minutes, reduce heat to 375 and bake 8 - 10 minutes more - watch closely -- you want them set but not brown. Immediately take off cookie sheet and put them on brown paper to absorb excess grease and to cool slightly - remove clothespin or form while slightly warm. Repeat with remaining dough.
When all cookies are completely cool, fill with filling below:
Filling:
1 C. milk (water may be substituted)
6 T. Flour
1/2 C. softened margarine or butter
1/2 C. crisco
2 C. confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook flour and milk (or water) over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool completely. Cream butter and crisco together with electric mixer -- add creamed mixture and beat well, until smooth. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla, beating well. Mixture should be very smooth and creamy -- it is not overly sweet. If desired, separate filling into portions and color portions with food coloring. Fill cookies with a pastry tube (from both ends). I immediately place cookies in a tin in layers separated with waxed paper and freeze. They will thaw in a few minutes. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Mary Seaman, from New Middletown, shared this recipe with Mom. Beth was a friend of her daughter, Geri. I have been making these cookies for about 30 years and everywhere I have lived no on has ever seen or tasted them before. They are always a very popular item on the Christmas cookie tray. They are a lot of work, however, they are absolutely worth it as they are light and literally melt in your mouth. I submitted this cookie to the Long Beach Press Telegram one year in their Christmas Baking contest, and it was a winner!. When Robin Medicus was very small, she loved these cookies so much that she wrote a school paper stating that her favorite cookie was Clothespin Cookies. I'm sure her teacher wondered what in the world that cookie could be! Ha!
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