The Railway Kitchen Car, that is. In October, Museum volunteers fire up the coal stove in the army ambulance kitchen car and begin baking the 25,000+ cookies given to Santa Train riders each year. Recipes are formulated by Dale C., who volunteers hundreds of hours yearly performing collection care in the Railway History Center on rail artifacts, cooking for the volunteers and baking for Santa Train.
Here’s the secret recipe (I guess it’s not a secret anymore!):
Santa Train Chocolate Chip Cookies (makes a whole bunch!)
¼ cup vanilla
3 lbs. butter
1 dozen eggs
16 cups flour
4 cups sugar
2 tbs. baking soda
4 cups brown sugar
8 cups or to taste, chocolate chips
Preheat oven by starting a fire with kindling. Add coal until desired temperature is reached. (Takes about 1 hour.) In a 5 gallon bucket, cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla, using your drill and a mixing bit. Add flour and baking soda and blend until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for awhile; turning pans so cookies don’t get scorched by the fire. Constantly rotate pans within the oven due to uneven oven temperatures. Take out when done and cool on wire rack.
