Sharon Birnie of Finksburg was in search of the recipe for the sugar cookies that were sold at the now-closed Hess Country Store in Reisterstown. She said the cookies were rolled and dusted with sugar and that they were very crunchy and light in color.
Cathy Wagner of Monkton thought she might have the recipe that Birnie was looking for. Wagner used to work in a dental office in Pikesville and said she was given the recipe many years ago by a patient who lived in Reisterstown. She was told that the recipe came from the Dorothy Hess Tea Room in Reisterstown. Based on Birnie's description, I would say this is most likely the same cookie. I could not find any information on either the Hess country store or tea room, but I suspect they may have been the same place — or at least run by the same family and therefore likely to share recipes.
The cookie is very simple but very tasty. I was surprised that the recipe called for equal parts margarine and butter, but the butter is all you taste and the margarine might be what makes the cookies so nice and crispy. Simply add a little colored sugar to the white sugar when you press the cookies down before baking, and you'll have a delicious and pretty cookie suitable for just about any holiday or party.
Requests
Judi Behnken of Reisterstown grew up in Highlandtown and said she used to get delicious crescent buns from Sally's bakery at the corner of Highland Avenue and Lombard Street. She said anyone who lived in the area in the 1950s should remember them. Behnken described the treat as a flat, crescent-shaped pastry topped with buttery crumbs. She said they were unique to that particular bakery and she has never come across them anywhere else. Behnken is hoping someone remembers them and might be able to share the recipe.
Hess sugar cookies
Makes 4-5 dozen cookies
1/2 pound butter, softened
1/2 pound margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar (for flattening)
Cream together the butter, margarine, 2 cups of sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add in the flour and baking powder, mix thoroughly until dough holds together.
Using your hands, form dough into walnut-sized balls, then place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball by pressing with the bottom of a glass that has been greased and then dipped in the remaining sugar. Repeat greasing the glass after a few cookies have been pressed.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown.