Filled Cookies

Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs thoroughly. Stir in vanilla. Measure flour by dipping method (p. 5) or by sifting. Stir dry ingredients together and blend in. Chill dough. Heat oven to 400° (mod. hot). Roll dough 1/16″ thick on floured board. Cut with round cutter or any desired shape about 2½″ in diameter, cutting 2 alike for each filled cooky. For a decorative effect, cut the center out of the top cooky with a tiny heart, star, or scalloped cutter. Place the bottom pieces on lightly greased baking sheet. Spread a rounded teaspoonful of cooled Filling on each. Cover with top cooky. Press edges together with floured tines of fork or fingertips. Bake 8 to 10 min., or until delicately browned. Makes 4½ doz. 2½″ cookies.

Note: If you use Gold Medal Self-Rising Flour, omit soda and salt.

FILLED COOKY TURNOVERS: Make Filled Cookies (above)—except cut 3″ rounds or squares. Place a teaspoonful of Filling on each; fold over like a turnover; press edges together. Makes 6 doz. 3″ cookies.

Pineapple Filling: 1 cup sugar—¼ cup lemon juice; ¼ cup Gold Medal Flour—3 tbsp. butter; 1½ cups well-drained crushed pineapple—¼ tsp. nutmeg; ¾ cup pineapple juice. Mix sugar and flour in saucepan. Stir in rest of ingredients. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened (5 to 10 min.). Cool. Makes 2⅔ cups filling.

Cherry Filling: 1 cup sugar—24 maraschino cherries, chopped; 3 tbsp. cornstarch—2 tbsp. butter; 1 cup orange juice—½ cup maraschino cherry juice. Blend dry ingredients together in saucepan. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to rolling boil; boil 1 min., stirring constantly. Chill. Makes 2⅔ cups filling.

Date, Fig, Raisin, or Prune Filling: 2 cups dates, figs, or raisins, finely cut up or ground, or 2 cups mashed cooked prunes (2⅔ cups uncooked)—¾ cup sugar—¾ cup water—½ cup chopped nuts, if desired. Cook fruit, sugar, and water together slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add nuts. Cool. Makes 2⅓ cups filling.

HINT: Sticky fruits can be cleaned from your food grinder quickly and easily by running a few small pieces of dry bread through it.