Wartime Ration Cookies were a redesign of the classic chocolate chip cookie, minus the all-important sugars. Sugar was the first food to be rationed in 1941 and the last food to be removed from the ration list in 1947, meaning that a sugary treat wasn’t so easy to bake. Nestle, the manufacturer of the Toll House chocolate bars, contrived a sugar-less workaround for their famous chocolate chip cookie that they bought (supposedly for one dollar) from Ruth Graves Wakefield in 1939.
This version is an interesting twist, swapping out the usual butter for shortening. The recipe then calls for maple syrup and honey as substitutes for brown sugar and granulated sugar.
After mixing the dry ingredients together in one bowl, go about dealing with the wet ingredients. Here, the shortening, honey, and maple sugar have a light, fluffy texture after being beaten for two to three minutes.
As you beat in the eggs, it’ll look grainy and separated, but don’t worry!
Once you add in all of the dry ingredients, the dough gets a smooth, silky texture.
Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. This dough will look very soft.
