My New Favorite Cookie Recipe Is Actually 75 Years Old

I like OG stuff. Probably because at this point in my life, I am actually an “OG.” That means I like bands like Pearl Jam, any piece of black clothing, and Lisa Frank stickers. It also means that I’m not easily impressed. That’s why when I was tasked with trying this “75-year-old cookie recipe,” I was interested (because I’m OG), but also ready to be unimpressed (because I’m OG). The throwback in question is a classic refrigerator cookie, or "Nut Tea Wafer" in this case. It comes from Ruth Wakefield, who just so happens to have invented the chocolate chip cookie, and was posted in a recent Reddit post of her "Tried and True Recipes" from the r/Old_Recipes forum.

Here’s what I discovered.

How to Make Refrigerator Cookies

The simplicity of OG recipes like these is one of the reasons they’re so appealing. It requires eight ingredients, and most of them are pantry staples. It starts like most drop cookie recipes, by creaming butter with brown sugar, then mixing in an egg. After that, the dry ingredients—flour, salt, and baking soda—are added, followed by chopped nuts of your choice (I used walnuts). The dough gets wrapped and refrigerated overnight before baking off the next day.

How Do Refrigerator Cookies Taste?

They taste awesome and this OG was impressed. I’m more of a chocolate chip kind of girl, but these tested my devotion. They’re perfectly crisp around the edges with a delightful crunch overall. They are buttery and lovely and have just the right amount of salt and sweetness. Perfect for lunch boxes or with a cup of coffee or tea.

Why Refrigerator Cookies Work

There are a couple of reasons this recipe is successful and hence, why we’re still making it 75 years later. First, the method of creaming the butter with the sugar is a solid cookie move, aerating the dough for a delicious texture once baked. Following up with the egg and the dry ingredients finishes the process with perfection.

The second reason these cookies are successful is the overnight rest and "chill" in the refrigerator. That fridge time gets the dough nice and cold so that the cookies don’t spread when baking. The rest also helps hydrate the flour in the dough, leading to a tasty, chewy, crisp cookie once baked.

Finally, it’s simple, like all good, classic things. It’s like I always say, simple ingredients and a simple method produce the most (impressive) delicious results!

Ruth Wakefield's Nut Tea Wafers (Refrigerator Cookies) Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat to combine.
2. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl; add to butter mixture. Stir in nuts and vanilla extract.
3. Shape dough into a cylinder, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Cut cookies into 1/4-inch slices and place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set and tops are golden, about 7 to 11 minutes.

Recipe adapted from "Ruth Wakefield's Tried and True Recipes" via Reddit.