Cookie question

Posted Wednesday, December 3, 2008, at 10:31 PM

I got the following e-mail tonight:

Hello,
I noticed that you were from the area and seem to have a lot of knowledge about the local busineses. When I was a child, I'm 26 now, there was a bakery on Lane Parkway. I believe that it may have been called Kelton's. They made these cookies. The cookies I believe were butter cookies of many colors. They were my favorites. I have a very fond memory of going to the bakery with my grandparents and getting them by the dozen. My question for you would be....... How would I find maybe a recipe, or someone who could tell me something about where to find these cookies. This may sound like a really silly question, but is very important to me. I have since lost my grandparents and now have children of my own. I would love to share them with my 3 boys as my grandparents did me. If there is anything you think I would find helpful, PLEASE message me.

If anyone has any specific information about the cookies -- more specific than just remembering the bakery -- e-mail jcarney@t-g.com and I'll put you in touch with this person.

Comments
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John~ They were the cookies from the original Whitman's bakery, before Kelton's took over (even though they kept making them). They are shortbread cookies. You just add food coloring to make the different colors. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 lb butter (DO NOT use margarine)

Directions

1Cream butter and sugar.

2Add flour, mix well.

3Roll out and cut into desired shapes, place on parchment paper.

4Bake at 350°F until pale golden.

-- Posted by cherylrichardson on Thu, Dec 4, 2008, at 7:46 AM

Oh I loved those cookies! I loved Whitmans bakery it smelled so good when you walked in the door and the Whitmans were so nice. I am sitting here remembering how their doughnuts tasted and they had these things that kind of looked like a raisin biscuit that had icing on them and they were awesome. I have never had anything that tasted like those. When we were in junior high we would walk to the bakery after school some days and pig out. Wish we had a bakery like that today.

-- Posted by breezy on Thu, Dec 4, 2008, at 8:55 AM

My parents and grandparents owned Whitman's Bakery. My dad retired after working in the business for 50 years, he started at age 9. Memories of the bakery are very near and dear to me. Thank you for your kind words and I am glad that those of you who commented seem to have a warm place in your hearts for Whitman's Bakery. The raisin biscuits were called Mountain Spice and were a favorite of many of our customers. I worked in the bakery while I was growing up, and I know that the people of Shelbyville and the surrounding area that my family served meant so much to all of us. Thanks.

-- Posted by baker's daughter on Fri, Dec 5, 2008, at 6:23 PM

They sell these cookies at Julia's Bakery in Murfreesboro, but they don't taste nearly as good as the Whitman's version.

Thanks for the recipe!

-- Posted by Nobody'sFool on Mon, Dec 8, 2008, at 12:46 PM

Baker's daughter- I want you to know that as a child, one of my favorite things in the world was one of your family's gingerbread men. I still can't find any anywhere else that taste as good as yours did.

And the orange chiffon cake was awesome! I really miss that place, and so does my entire family.

-- Posted by Nobody'sFool on Mon, Dec 8, 2008, at 12:49 PM

Nobody'sFool--My very favorite were the chocolate chip cookies. I have only found a few that resemble Daddy's. I have great memories of being there when the cookies came out of the oven and gobbling them down so fast that I about made myself sick. It is so fun to hear others' memories of the bakery. But it makes me sad that the only grandchild that will have a real memory of the bakery is my oldest daughter. The other 5(3-mine,2-my sister's) were born after my folks retired. It was so great to grow up in that environment. Learned a lot of life lessons too.

-- Posted by baker's daughter on Mon, Dec 8, 2008, at 1:07 PM

I can't believe so many other people still remember these cookies. I live in California and would visit my grandparents in the summertime (70's and 80's.) The shortbread cookies(pink,green,and yellow) were the best and the gingerbread men. Whitman's bakery was true Americana. Today's bakeries are all inside supermarkets and will never duplicate the smell and taste of these traditional bakeries. I guess all we have are the memories!!

-- Posted by baucomrj on Thu, Jan 8, 2009, at 8:58 PM

Perhaps,some locals could record past and present recipes (a la Saddle salad dressing) so they won't disappear after the businesses and originators are no longer with us.

They needn't be made public while the products are still being marketed but they need to be preserved in some way so we don't lose any more of our community's heritage.

(Mountain Spice biscuits...mmmmmmmmmmm!)

-- Posted by quantumcat on Sun, Jan 11, 2009, at 8:16 PM

I loved the gingerbread men too!!! My mother and I were just talking about them last night! Going to Whitman's Bakery with her as a child is a memory that is very dear to my heart. The Whitmans were always so friendly. I sure do miss that place!

-- Posted by onenamil on Mon, Jan 12, 2009, at 10:40 AM

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John I. Carney

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John I. Carney is city editor of the Times-Gazette.

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