Philathea Cook Book

A church class in Worcester, Massachusetts pooled its recipes in 1922 — and signed every one of them.

Doughnuts and Cookies

"Between the optimist and pessimist, The difference is droll.

The optimist sees the doughnut, The pessimist, the hole."

The Recipes

Doughnuts

1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk (sweet), 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. Royal baking powder, 2…

Brownies

1/2 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 sq. chocolate, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup nut meats, 1/2 cup flour…

Fudge Squares

1/3 cup milk 1/8 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Royal bak. powder 1 cup flour 1/2 cup nuts Melt…

Cornflake Kisses

2 cups corn flakes 2 whites of eggs 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup cocoanut…

Fruit Whirls

Two cups flour, 4 tsp. Royal baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbsp. shortening, 3/4 cups…

Date Rocks

1 cup butter 1 tsp. Slade's cinnamon 11/2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1/4 cup water 1 cup dates 3…

Chinese Chews

1 large cup dates 1 tsp. Royal bak. powder 1 cup walnuts 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup sugar 1 cup…

Hermits

2 eggs well beaten, 11/2 cups sugar, 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup sour milk and 1/2 cup…

Hermits (Cup sugar cup butter cup milk)

1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1 egg, 1/2 lb. chopped raisins, 1 level tsp…

Brambles

Roll pie crust thin. Between two layers of crust, spread filling as follows: 1 cup of…

Brown Sugar Cookies

1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 egg and 1 tbsp. milk; 2 cups pastry flour, 1 scant…

Oatmeal Cookies (Cup sugar eggs tsp Royal bak)

1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. Royal bak. powder 21/2 cups oatmeal 1 tbsp. butter 1 tsp…

Oatmeal Cookies (Cup butter cup sugar eggs cup)

1/2 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2/3 cup milk 2 cups oatmeal 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. salt…

Molasses Cookies (Tsp salt tsp cassia cup sugar)

1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cassia 1 cup sugar (good) 1 cup molasses (scant) 1 cup butter and…

Dropped Peanut Cookies

2 tbsp. butter 1/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1/8 tsp. salt 1/2 cup flour 2 tbsp. milk 1 tsp. Royal…

Delicious Cookies

1/2 cup butter and lard mixed 3 cups brown sugar 3 eggs 1/2 cup top milk 11/2 tsp…

Martha's Drop Cookies

1 tsp. salt 1 cup butter and lard mixed 1 cup white sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2…

Sugar Cookies (Cup of sugar cup butter)

1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup butter (creamed together), 1 egg well beaten, 1/2 cup sour cream…

Sugar Cookies (Cup butter cups sugar eggs)

1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 5 cups flour or less 1 tsp. soda 2 tbsp. milk little…

Sugar Cookies (Egg cup sugar cup shortening)

1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup shortening, 1/2 cup milk (2 tsp. cream tartar, 1 tsp. soda…

Molasses Cookies (Cup light brown sugar creamed)

1 cup light brown sugar creamed with scant cup of shortening (1/3 lard, 2/3 butter) 1 cup…

Filled Cookies

1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup milk 31/2 cups flour 3 level tsp. Royal B…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of Philathea Cook Book (1922) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.