Cookin’ Up A Scoff

Cooking is an enduring craft in Newfoundland for which we’re very grateful. It is raining and cold today, a pitiful day for weather! But with true Newfie spirit we reflect that it’s a good day for sipping coffee or strong tea and nibbling something sweet. St. Johns’ has its share of high-end coffee shops and we stop by Coffee Matters near Hotel Newfoundland to fortifly ourselves with a fancy brew. It is a visit-the-relatives-until -you-drop day so Barry and Gene have the drop-in agenda planned and Marlene tags along. Everyone we visit reminisces about Barry’s Mom, an outport woman with the gracious ways of the finest of ladies, who served a memorable tea in her parlour. This is one of her heritage recipes.

Mrs Hiscock’s Cherry Tea Cookies
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup cherries (glace, dried or maraschino) cut into halves

This recipe does not come with a method as it comes from a time when it was assumed the cook had enough sense to bake cookies! So you follow the basic method of creaming the sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla first; then alternating the dry ingredients and milk as you mix them in. Drop the cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet or parchment and place ½ cherry on top. Bake about 10 minutes at 350F.