Since this particular cookie is kinda lame, I decided to focus this entry on something much cooler: music. The Top Ten Billboards of 1962, the year my Better Homes & Gardens cook book was published. So what were they listening to 50 years ago? Perhaps even while baking this very cookie:
Position
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Song
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Artist
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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Things I recognize:
Number 2, Ray Charles, because everyone knows the head-swaying style of Ray, from pop culture (think Pepsi commercials or Jamie Foxx’s excellent portrayal) and his legendary music that has inspired thousands.
Number 3, the Mashed Potato Time song, I identify from a scene in Troop Beverly Hills. Remember that gem of a movie?
Number 7 and Number 9 (not to be confused with Twist and Shout, #38 on the list) are classics that I think every kid grew up listening to somehow. They are right up there with other well-known oldies like Yakkity-Yak and The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
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| My little cookie monster is 9 months old! |
As for the rest, I’m intrigued, yet clueless. I happen to have every Billboard Top 100 from 1950 to 2003 on an external hard drive. That’s 5,400 songs of music history. So I plug in the Top Ten from 1962 to become more educated on the rest of this line up.
Is it bad that I skipped over half of Hit Number One? Stranger on the Shore is – SuRpRiSe! A clarinet instrumental. Really? This was “the jam” just fifty short years ago. Interesting facts: this song was written in a taxicab, was a theme song for a BBC children’s show, came over from England and topped the charts for 7 weeks here in the U.S. Even more interesting, this was the first song by a British artist to ever top the U.S. charts (The Beatles didn’t hit #1 until 1964 with I Want to Hold Your Hand). You’re welcome Adele.
The next song that catches my eye – Hit Number Five. Anything titled The Stripper has to be good, yes? Well guess what? It’s another instrumental! Much catchier than the Number One, this song does sound like it should be played in a burlesque somewhere. But the thought of this blaring thru the stereo while you drove down Main Street or hit the dance floor is a bit mind boggling. Perhaps its popularity was driven by this songs association with taking off your clothes? Makes sense to me. We all love to be naked. Another reason it caught on? A Los Angeles DJ popularized this song by playing it on the air for 45 minutes straight, no matter what the listeners requested. That will get any tune stuck in your head.
Number 3, Roses are Red, reminds me of any oldie slow dance.
Number 6, Johnny Angel, sounds like a song that would’ve been played at American Bandstand on the movie Grease. Reminds me of Moon River for some reason. I like it.
Number 8, Let Me In, is an upbeat catchy number that talks about “movin’ and a groovin’” to music.
Number 9, The Twist, was a worldwide phenomenon, recorded in Italian, German, and French. With The Twist, Checkers started a dance craze that was so easy, everyone could enjoy it! Easy dance = Hit song. Enter the Macarena.
Number 10, Soldier Boy, is a story of a girl who is left behind when her boyfriend goes off to war. Maybe in Vietnam? U.S. troops were still there in '62. Either way, its a slow sleepy tune that wouldn’t stand a chance on Nick Cannon’s Top 40. Who am I kidding, none of these 1962 numbers would score well on any of today’s charts.
If our taste in music has changed this much in fifty years, it is no wonder that our taste in cookies have changed as well. I’d say that about half of the cookies in this BH&G cookbook wouldn’t ever be made in today's home. I believe these Lemon-Pecan Dainties fall into that category. 
The one special move used to make these cookies – you roll the dough into tubes, chill, and then slice them, vs. just dropping the cookie dough on the cooky sheet. This recipe calls for 2 inch wide rolls, so I try to be as precise as possible. It doesn’t tell the baker to wrap the rolls in clear plastic wrap, but I use common sense and go that route. After a couple hours in the fridge, I use a sharp knife and carefully slice thin cookies off of my logs o’ dough. Most of my cookies require some medical attention as they fall apart post slice, but I manage. And you definitely need to be sure that your pecans are chopped finely or else you won’t be able to make your cookies as thin as you’d like. |
| She'd rather eat leaves than this cookie |
The result – a slightly lemony, slightly dainty crisp cookie. Can I taste the pecans? Nope. But I can see them in every square inch of each cookie. I can also see bits of the lemon zest scattered throughout, but I am disappointed that I can’t taste the lemon as much. Yet, I do love the thin crispness the careful slicing provided. If I were to re-create these cookies, I would include more lemon zest and juice to see if I could get that refreshing citrus flavor to come thru. And maybe toast or season the pecans before I added them to the cookies dough. All in all, on today’s top 100, maybe these cookies would be one of those songs that crept in at #99, but you’re not really sure why.
Cookie Grade: D – I think I’m becoming more critical as I go along. Especially since I have had the joy of several truly wonderful cookies to compare others to. This cookie isn’t good enough to hand out and will most likely end up in the trash if they aren’t eaten in the next couple days.
What I was jammin’ to: Billboard’s Top 10 from 1962. In my opinion, not the best 60’s year in music, but still fun! I even might've been doing the train dance during The Loco-motion. ;)
On an ending note - I always told myself that whenever this blog became more of a chore than a pleasure, I would put it down for awhile. Sadly, I think I’ve reached that point. Between my odd jobs, little munchkin, the holidays approaching, and life, the pressure of having another cookie looming over me puts more stress out there than I imagined. It’s hard to relax and take a deep breath when I have my BH&G cookbook staring at me. But wipe away those tears that I am sure are whelming up in your eyes, because I absolutely plan on finishing this feat. There will be more cookies! Just at a much slower pace. As always, Thank You for taking the time to experience this 50 year old cookie challenge with me!!!
I love this recipe, it's very forgiving. You can switch up with any finely cut nuts or dried fruit and any flavorings, my favorite is to do this cookie with coffee instead of lemon and walnuts instead of pecans. It's a hit at parties.
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