Mystery Amish Community and Susie Gingerich's Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

By Kevin Williams

I thought I'd turn one of my disorganized moments into something fun.  In addition to traveling to Amish settlements I've traded letters with many Amish over the years trying to learn as much about their communities and churches as possible.  Well, I've had one letter, dated July 2011, sitting on my desk forever.  The letter is from a Susie Gingerich and she was sending in some recipes for possible inclusion in our cookbook, Amish Cooks Across America.  Her letter arrived past the time for deadline so I didn't end up using any of the material, but then somehow over the years the letter got separated from the envelope so that I have no clue where this is from.  But her recipes are too good not to share and I bet you someone out there reading this might know what community this describes.  So, here is Susie's letter to me:

Dear Kevin Williams:

Received your letter in the mail.  As for church districts we have 3 and we have black buggies. This settlement was started in ____(I looks like she used white-out, but didn't fill back in the date) and we have furniture and cabinet shops, bakery, harness shops, tin shop and then we have 13 greenhouses so we have a Produce building and have cow and goat dairies. You are welcome to stop in.  Here are a few recipes.

Susie Gingerich's letter to me....

I'd love to stop in but have no idea where I'd stop!:)  Anyone have any ideas?  There's not a ton to go by in her letter, but if you happen to be familiar with the settlement something might jump out, either her name or the 13 greenhouses.

I'll share her recipes over the days ahead, starting with this classic: peanut butter cookies, with lard!

Mystery Amish Community and Susie Gingerich's Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Serves: 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup lard
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 /2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups flour

Instructions

1. Mix together and make into balls.
2. Roll in white sugar.
3. Flatt a little and bake in a 350 oven till done.

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