Cellu Bran Cookies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
Add the mineral oil and saccharin dissolved in hot water to form a soft dough.
Spread the mixture in a shallow greased pan and cut into small squares.
Bake
Bake in a cool oven at 300°F (150°C) until done.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Cellu flour
- Provides the bulk and structure that the dough holds together around.
- Washed bran
- Adds fiber-rich bulk and a coarse, crumbly texture to the cookies.
- India gum
- Acts as a binder that helps the soft dough hold its shape when cut.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas during baking, giving the cookies some lift and lightness.
- Mineral oil
- Supplies fat that keeps the dough moist and softens the finished texture.
- Grain saccharin
- Provides the sweetness in the cookies.
The step that matters
Bake in a cool oven until done. A low oven bakes the cookies slowly and evenly, drying them through without browning. Stopping too early leaves the centre doughy, while going too long makes them dry and brittle.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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