Christmas

Dry Bones Cookies Southern Style

by:
October 23, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes around 70 cookies or so
Author Notes

One of my favorite cookies is from the Dutch Oven Bakery in northern Michigan. The Dry Bone cookies come in two sizes, but I like the smaller, crunchy ones best. This cookie is a spice cookie with almonds, but my version adds candied citrus peel. It's also a refrigerator cookie, nice because you can form the rolls and stick them in the freezer. They are excellent for dunking! —Louisa

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses or sorghum
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup crystallized ginger
  • 1/4 cup crystallized/candied orange peel
  • 1/4 cup crystallized/candied lemon peel
Directions
  1. Mix flour,ginger and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar.
  3. Add molasses (or sorghum) and vanilla to creamed mixture.
  4. Add the dry ingredients.
  5. Stir in the almonds and the crystallized ginger and orange and lemon peel.
  6. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into a 2" thick log. I do a log that has four flat edges (like a milled log). Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for two hours or until very firm (can also be frozen at this point.)
  7. Using a sharp knife, cut a 3" section off the log. Slice this section longways into slender pieces. Place on baking sheet with silpat/parchment, 1/2 inch apart.
  8. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes or until edges of cookie just start to darken. Transfer cookies to wire rack for cooling. Cookies should be crisp when they are cooled. Store Dry Bones in a tin or tightly closed container.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

4 Reviews

Rob April 5, 2019
So, my wife and I just purchased a bakery 4 days ago. I wanted to research a cookie that we sell a lot of, Dry Bone Cookies. This is the first post that showed up. To my delight your article gave the bakery we just purchased a nice plug. I realize this was written several years ago, but thank you.
Louisa February 8, 2020
Just getting ready to make Dry Bones for an Oscar party (ginger in honor of Little Women) when I saw your post. So great to know Dutch Oven continues! I was trying to get as close to your cookie as possible, lots of attempts, lots of different bones. Yours are the best!
Louisa December 4, 2011
The recipe above is now correct.
Louisa October 24, 2011
Apologies! There is a mistake in the recipe which I have not been able to correct. The 1/2 Cup molasses/sorghum is listed twice.
The recipe should have listed it only once. There is only one 1/2 Cup molasses/sorghum in the recipe.
Thanks!