Spry was first introduced in 1936 by Lever Brothers to compete with Crisco - and at one time had 1/2 the shortening market share, so I guess it was a little more than just a "wannabe" - it was a major player in it's day. It was phased out and dropped somewhere between 1957-1960, after they dropped their radio drama program with Aunt Jenny that they sponsored in 1956.
Spry and Crisco are basically identical in that they are both whipped hydrogenated vegetable oil. They are interchangeable.
HOW TO MAKE A
Christmas Cookie Wonderland
BASIC LIGHT DOUGH
Combine and beat thoroughly:
1 cup Homogenized Spry
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla (or 1 teaspoon almond extract, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, and 3/4 teaspoon orange extract)
2 unbeaten eggs
Add…2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour and mix well.
Roll…small portions of dough 1/8″ or 1/4″ thick on floured cloth or board.
Cut…with assorted cookie cutters. Place on Sprycoated baking sheets 1″ apart.
Bake…in moderately hot oven (375°F.) 8-10 minutes, or until a delicate light brown. Makes about 4 dozen.
Dark Dough. Add 2 oz. chocolate, melted, and 2 teaspoons milk in first mixing step.
A Cookie Wonderland from Santa’s Kitchen
HOW TO MAKE A CHRISTMAS COOKIE WONDERLAND. Using both light and dark doughs, make the following cutouts with assorted cookie cutters. Or lay cardboard patterns on the dough and cut around edges with sharp knife.
SANTA CLAUS. Cut light dough with Santa Claus cutter. Brush with unbeaten egg white, sprinkle suit with red sugar. Bake. When cool, outline fur trim and features with white icing; make boots of melted chocolate. Make toys in pack with tiny colored candies.
CHRISTMAS TREE. Cut light dough with Christmas tree cutter. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with green sugar and a few multicolored candies. Place a silver dragee at tip of each branch.
ANGEL. Cut out angels from light dough. Brush with egg white, sprinkle robe with blue sugar, hair with yellow sugar. Bake and cool. Frost hands, face, and wings with white icing.
BELL. Cut light dough with bell cutter. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with green sugar, make clapper with bit of cherry. Make a small hole in top of bell with toothpick. When baked, draw cord through hole and tie cookie on Christmas tree.
STAR. Cut light dough with star cutter. Decorate with colored sugars and dragees before baking, or frost after baking.
HOLLY WREATH. Frost with green frosting; arrange 3 clusters of 3 red cinnamon candies to resemble holly berries. Or, before baking, brush with egg white; arrange bits of cherries and citron to resemble holly.
COOKIE BOY. Cut dark dough with ginger boy cutters. Use bits of raisins for eyes and nose, cherries for mouth, nuts for buttons. Bake and cool. Outline and trim with white icing.
TOYLAND PARADE. Using both light and dark doughs, cut camels, elephants, dogs, teddy bears, lambs, horses, donkeys, reindeer, birds, turkeys, etc. Decorate before baking by brushing with egg white and sprinkling with colored sugars and colored candies. Bake and cool. Trim the cookies with white and colored frostings. Frost some of the cut-outs with colored frostings and decorate.
PUNCH OR EGGNOG WAFERS
Use recipe for Basic Light Dough. Roll dough very thin (1/16″ thick) and use as follows:
Cinnamon Diamonds. Cut with diamond-shaped cutter. Brush with egg white, sprinkle with mixture of 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press pecan half in center. Bake at 375°F. 5-8 minutes.
Pretty Scallops. Cut with round scalloped 2″ cutter, brush with egg white, sprinkle with tiny multicolored candies. Bake at 375°F. 5-8 minutes.
Fluted Stars. Cut with fluted star cutter, brush with egg white, sprinkle with sugar, put raisin in center. Bake at 375°F. 5-8 minutes.
Cherry Circles. Cut with round 2″ cutter, brush with egg white, sprinkle with mixture of equal parts of finely chopped almonds and sugar. Put a candied cherry half in center. Bake at 375°F. 5-8 minutes.
Festive Cherry-ettes
Combine and cream well:
3/4 cup Homogenized Spry
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
Add:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans, and mix into a soft dough.
Shape…into balls about 1″ in diameter. Place on Sprycoated baking sheets. Press a little hole in center of each ball with tip of finger and place half a candied cherry in each.
Bake…in slow oven (325° F.) 25 minutes. Makes 40.
Snowy Christmas Cakes. Shape dough in small finger-shaped rolls about 2″ x 1/2″; or in small balls, letters, or crescents. Bake as directed. Coat while hot by shaking in a paper bag with confectioners’ sugar. Cool and again coat with sugar.
Black Walnut Cookies. Use chopped black walnuts instead of pecans. Use only 1 tablespoon vanilla. Shape as for Snowy Christmas Cakes.
Almond Cherry-Tops. Use 1 cup unblanched ground toasted almonds instead of pecans. Use 1 tablespoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon almond extract instead of 2 tablespoons vanilla.
Tiny Tim Fruitcake Cookies
Combine and beat thoroughly:
1/2 cup Homogenized Spry
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 unbeaten eggs
Sift together:
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon soda; add to Spry mixture and blend.
Add…1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk and blend.
Add:
1 cup currants
1 cup seedless raisins
3/4 cup mixed candied fruits and peels, cut fine (or 1/4 cup citron and 1/2 cup candied cherries)
1 cup chopped walnuts and mix well.
Drop…rounded tablespoons of dough on Sprycoated baking sheets.
Bake…in moderate oven (350°F.) 18-22 minutes.
Frost…tops of cookies with Creamy Vanilla Frosting, page 21. Decorate with bits of candied cherries and citron. Makes 3 dozen.
For a sparkling, transparent glaze on Tiny Tim Fruitcake Cookies, omit frosting and make Vanilla Glaze as follows: Put 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon soft butter or margarine, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 1/2 tablespoons scalded milk in bowl and beat until creamy. As soon as fruitcake cookies are baked, remove them from baking sheet and, while still hot, spread with a thin coating of the glaze. Makes glaze for 3 dozen cookies.
Gingerbread Men
Combine and beat thoroughly:
2/3 cup Homogenized Spry
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 unbeaten egg
Add…3/4 cup molasses and blend.
Sift together:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda; add to Spry mixture and mix well. Chill dough in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Roll…only about 1/4 of dough at a time and keep remaining dough chilled. Roll dough 1/8″ thick on floured board. Cut with gingerbread-man cookie cutter. Use bits of raisins for eyes, nose, and mouth. Place on Sprycoated baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake…in moderately hot oven (375°F.) 8-10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen. Decorate, if desired, with Decorative Frosting, page 21.
Tutti-Frutti Nut Cookies
Combine and beat thoroughly:
1/2 cup Homogenized Spry
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 unbeaten egg
Sift together:
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon soda; add to Spry mixture and blend
Add…3 tablespoons fruit juice or water and mix.
Add:
1 cup chopped filberts
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 lb. (2 1/2 cups) dates, cut in pieces
3 oz. (1/3 cup) chopped candied cherries
3 oz. chopped candied pineapple and mix well.
Drop…level tablespoons of dough on Sprycoated baking sheets.
Bake…in moderate oven (350°F.) 15-20 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.
Kriss Kringle Seedcakes
Combine and beat thoroughly:
1/4 cup Homogenized Spry
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 unbeaten eggs
Sift together:
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon soda
Stir into flour:
1 teaspoon aniseed
1 tablespoon crushed cardamom seeds
1/4 lb. coarsely ground candied orange peel
1/2 lb. coarsely ground citron
Add…1/2 of flour-fruit mixture to Spry mixture and mix well; add remainder and blend.
Chill…dough 1 hour, then shape into small balls about 3/4″ in diameter. Place on waxed paper and let stand, uncovered, overnight at room temperature.
In morning…brush balls with smooth mixture of 3 tablespoons hot milk and 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar. Place balls 2″ apart on Sprycoated baking sheets.
Bake…in moderate oven (350°F.) 15 minutes. Makes 7 1/2 dozen. For variety, some of the balls can be left uniced and, when baked, rolled in confectioners’ sugar. Store in covered container until used.
Yuletide Cookies
Combine and beat thoroughly:
1/2 cup Homogenized Spry
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
Beat…4 egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored; add to Spry mixture and mix well.
Sift together:
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder; add to Spry mixture and blend.
Mix:
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Shape…cookie mixture into 3/4″ balls and roll in cinnamon-pecan mixture. Place balls 3″ apart on Sprycoated baking sheets.
Bake…in moderate oven (350°F.) 10-12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.
Seed ‘n’ Spice Cookies. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed coriander seed, 1 1/2 teaspoons aniseed, 1 teaspoon cinnamon in first mixing step. Roll cookie balls in finely chopped walnuts instead of pecans and cinnamon. Bake as directed.
Hundreds-and-Thousands Cookies. Roll the balls of dough in tiny multicolored candies. Bake as directed.
Aniseed Cookies. Add 1 tablespoon crushed aniseed and 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind in first mixing step. Roll the balls of cookie dough in granulated sugar instead of pecans and cinnamon. Bake as directed.
Caraway Cookies. Add 1 tablespoon caraway seed in first mixing step. Roll the balls of dough in granulated sugar. Bake as directed.
Coconut-Orange Cookies. Add 3/4 teaspoon grated orange rind, 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind, and 1/2 cup finely chopped coconut in first mixing step. Roll the balls of dough in 3/4 cup finely chopped coconut, then bake as directed.
Almond Cookies. Omit vanilla and add 1 teaspoon almond extract. Roll balls of dough in 3/4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds, then bake as directed.
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