Take the City’s Registered Community Organization Survey

The Department of City Planning (DCP) launched the Registered Community Organization (RCO) program in 2018 to facilitate communication between the city, neighborhoods, and developers. OPDC is one of three RCOs in Oakland, together with Oakland Business Improvement District and Oakcliffe Community Organization.

RCOs host Development Activities Meetings (DAMs) to allow everyone the chance to review proposals and ask questions. Where RCO boundaries overlap, it’s the city that hosts the DAMs.

The City is conducting a survey on the RCO program. Your feedback is important! Check out the survey here.

Want to keep up with Oakland development and infrastructure projects? OPDC maintains project pages with project information, including recordings of past DAMs, in our Design Development Review section.

5 Plans for Community Service Hubs in Oakland

Entrance steps and plaza for a community service hub in Central Oakland

The Oakland Plan identified a need for community service hubs (CSHs) throughout Oakland to provide gathering space and access to after-school programs, child care, Wi-Fi, technology, and other services.

Building on this recommendation, last semester graduate students in Carnegie Mellon’s Master of Urban Design program created “community hub as neighborhood catalyst” proposals for Frazier Field, Herron Hill Pumping Station, Zulema, Central Oakland, and Oakcliffe Square.

OPDC is sharing these imaginative proposals to stimulate public conversation about the vision for CSHs in Oakland. All views expressed here are solely those of the authors and do not constitute an endorsement from OPDC.

Share your thoughts on CSHs in the comments or contact us directly. Check out the video above for all the details!

Frazier Field—Food for Thought

Frazier Field CSH entrance from the re-constructed Frazier Street

By Aditi Shreedhar and Aniket Surve 

It’s a pleasantly warm morning on a Sunday in August 2033—just another day in the flourishing neighborhood of South Oakland. Tulip poplars dressed in a fall yellow amply shade Ward Street. Beneath them, electric vehicles are parked at charging stations, interspersed by the neighborhood’s flower beds. Eliza steps out of her newly acquired community land trust home and walks her Labrador as she greets passersby on bicycles. The neighborhood shuttle drops off her neighbors Henry and Justin before turning onto bustling Thora Way. The Farmer’s Market there extends along its length, championing produce from Frazier Farm and local enterprises with fresh food and homemade treats. 

“Food for Thought” affirms the relationship between human values and the neighborhood. Neighborhoods always improve when their people get to know and care for each other, share resources, and take responsibility as a collective. This gives the neighborhood a sense of community, identity, and protection. 

This project aims to reshape the perception of land in the neighborhood from property/private use/exploitation to protected institution/housing/recreation in a self-sustaining model.  

The project goals are: 

  1. To create a win-win situation for the environment as well as the community.

  2. To create a lens to experience the land as home and livelihood and not just a commodity.

Learning Deck at Frazier Farm

Centered around four activities—growing, dining, learning, and playing—the CSH at Frazier Field operates as a community-governed, multi-purpose facility, providing access to fresh produce, child care services, wellness, sports, classes, and community gatherings.  

Recognizing that South Oakland is currently a food desert, Frazier Field is designed for community gardening. It will also host sports and neighborhood events. The vision extends beyond the field to improve last-mile connectivity, enhance the quality of streets, encourage local enterprise, and address growing concerns of absentee home ownership in the neighborhood through a phased twenty-year strategy. 

Leadership in guiding and implementing the strategy would be provided by the South Oakland Neighborhood Group (SONG), which would support and manage three kinds of neighborhood cooperatives: Community Supported Agriculture, the South Oakland Housing Cooperative, and the South Oakland Mutual Aid Cooperative. These cooperatives will strengthen the community’s voice, mobilize co-action during adverse conditions, and build collective wealth by ensuring the profits remain within the neighborhood.

Herron Hill Pumping Station

Flexible, modular spaces throughout the community

By Koushik Srinath and Yash Parikh 

This proposal envisions Herron Hill Pumping Station in North Oakland as the nucleus of a network of community public spaces.  

A key aspect of this project is the celebration of Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure—the connection between the Pumping Station and its reservoir in the Upper Hill District is one of historical note. The project, therefore, looks to expand on these existing infrastructure connections and connect North Oakland to the surrounding neighborhoods of Upper Hill, Bloomfield, Shadyside, and the rest of Oakland to the south. 

While studying the location, the students found that the site possesses great potential for transformation. It consists of two buildings, the main Pumping Station, which faces Centre Avenue, and the ancillary Lab structure to its north. Both buildings have stood at their original location since their construction and continue to play a key role in the water distribution system of Pittsburgh. The Laboratory, although defunct, was crucial in advancing the water and paving analysis for the city in the last 60 years. The Station mainly pumped water to higher elevations such as the Hill District and Squirrel Hill.  

North Oakland is dominated by large high-rise, mixed-use buildings with very limited open spaces, parks, or community activity areas. In addition to this, the blocks are fragmented by large parking lots.  

This led to a design strategy that creates a CSH at the Pumping Station, flexible, modular spaces for the community, and reimagined future uses for parking lots. The proposal is phased over 20 years, with each phase incrementally adding to the network. With community feedback, it will be possible to create a vibrant neighborhood with a variety of public open spaces and new community amenities. 

“Pockets” of community gathering space throughout North Oakland

The Pumping Station, which will continue to function, has unused space that can house local offices of PWSA and DPW, while the defunct Lab will be converted into a museum for water infrastructure, along with a community meeting and dining room. This will help raise awareness about the historical infrastructure connections among the neighborhoods.  

Along with this, the north end of the site will be transformed into an active public space with trellised modules that can be used for performances, markets, cafes, gardens, and even fitness zones. This will allow the community flexibility to change the space. Finally, the parking lots in the neighborhood will become a part of this network with the trellises being used as a connecting fabric for the creation of multi-use public spaces in 20 years.  

The CSH proposal will be carried out and operated by a new non-profit neighborhood development and management organization led by community residents and stakeholders. It will be supported by partners such as government agencies, OPDC, and educational institutions. This will aid the CSH network in improving the public realm of North Oakland while combining infrastructure, history, and economic opportunities for the community.

Zulema—The “Place”

A multifunctional community center at Zulema Parklet

By Shreya Mathur and Seyoung Choo

This project proposes a new CSH at Zulema Parklet as an incubator for local and new community businesses.

The Zulema district, which includes the one-acre green space at Zulema Parklet and the surrounding space and facilities, is located on the boundary between Central and South Oakland and is outlined by major roads such as Boulevard of the Allies and Bates Street.

While Zulema Parklet is at the heart of the neighborhood, the Zulema District lacks a multifunctional community center. The site is isolated from Central and South Oakland’s primary service areas and is also difficult to access by foot or public transit. However, the unified ownership status and tightly knit residential fabric can become a center for local economic growth and community engagement. It can be the site that starts the process of turning the neighborhood into a community!

This project, therefore, proposes the creation of a CSH, a new public face at the east end of Zulema Parklet, which will incorporate a collaborative working space, child care, and an “incubator” space that allows the birth of new businesses and expansion of local businesses that will eventually become a catalyst for broader district-wide development over a 20-year period.

Renovated traffic circulation and transportation systems would make the area more pedestrian and eco-friendly

In 20 years, the Zulema district will become a mixed-program district with an abundance of resources and an economically circular loop to expand and support local business, commercial, and residential ownership.

Although the project will be broken down into different developmental phases, each phase will strive to achieve one more of the following overarching goals:

  • Allow opportunities for small local businesses and start-ups to grow

  • Create a commercial wall that can cater to everyday needs, but also attract outside visitors

  • Retain the transient population and create a more diversified residential fabric

  • Renovate traffic circulation and transportation systems to become more pedestrian and eco-friendly

  • Utilize green spaces to their full potential to increase community gatherings and interactions

  • Creating a space where you can live, work, and play

Central Oakland—Community Education Center

Proposed Community Education Center in Central Oakland

By Yihan Liu and Rutuja Badve 

Central Oakland is the meeting place of large institutions and a low but dense residential area to the south and west. The Forbes/Fifth corridor forms the north edge of the neighborhood. Central Oakland has a remarkably diverse population in age, background, occupation, and language. 

The Oakland Plan suggests introducing new educational resources into the neighborhood. This proposal considers both programmed activities (intangible) and physical urban improvements (tangible).  

The purpose of the Community Education Center, which could be an expanded function of OPDC, is two-fold:

  1. Create a facility with spaces for both formal and informal learning for all ages.

  2. Provide a local network of other community functions that improve the livability of Central Oakland. 

A Phase Model

The design for the Community Education Center is envisioned in four phases: 2-year, 5-year, 10-year, and 20-year plans.

In the first two years, a survey of needs and talents throughout the area of central Oakland will be conducted to create an “asset map” of the neighborhood. Also, work will begin within OPDC to expand partnerships with institutions in the neighborhood. Third, a suitable site for the Community Education Center will be identified. This proposal suggests using a parking lot currently owned by UPMC along Sennett Street.

In five years, public space and housing improvements will be in progress, and Community Education Center activities will be initiated in existing spaces while construction on the new building gets underway. The Center is located at the meeting place of the small-scale residential and large-scale commercial/institutional areas. The building mass is highest along Sennett Street and steps down in terraces toward the south to meet the residential properties at their same height. Support for alternative transportation, including new bike lanes on Forbes, will be provided by modular cycle repair stations. This is a prototype that can eventually be replicated throughout Oakland.

As a part of the ten-year goal, efforts to increase localization in business development will be launched. The business district on Forbes Avenue as well as the local business district of Central Oakland on Atwood Street will be supported by intensified marketing and monthly street markets. Also, a sustainability resource center will be initiated in collaboration with CMU and Pitt, and educational programs with the existing Oakland Avenue Farm will encourage community involvement.

In the fourth phase, with a twenty-year planning horizon, the Community Education Center will be a fully operational facility that will enable Central Oakland residents to find better employment and enrich their lives. Local initiatives will address hillside remediation and a fund for the maintenance of the city steps. OPDC’s expanded role in the neighborhood and its partnership with People’s Oakland will produce a foster home for children and the elderly.

The Community Education Center

Axonometric view of the educational hub and affiliate small installations

The new facility provides not only a variety of learning spaces inside, but also outdoor open spaces at different levels to serve the community as well as the daycare facility, care center for older adults, and classrooms. A plaza along Semple Street serves as a welcoming open space to all the users in the community. The programs in the building attract people of all age groups for learning activities during weekdays, evenings, and weekends. The building street face is reserved for a café and shops. All the spaces in the center are designed to be flexible to accommodate a range of activities.

The success of the Community Education Center will be assessed in terms of resident employment, local business vitality, neighborhood social connections, household and community self-reliance, neighborhood livability, care of the physical environment, and the strength of the sense of place in Central Oakland.

Oakcliffe Square

By Fangyu Huang and Xinyue Zhang

While Oakcliffe is home to many longtime residents, it also faces many challenges: an education level below the Oakland average, a home-ownership rate far lower than the Pittsburgh average, and poor conditions along the Boulevard with a lack of good entrances into the neighborhood. Also, within the neighborhood, green space is fragmented, streets lack trees, and dangerous traffic conditions on the Boulevard cut it off from Oakland's amenities.

The Oakland Plan proposed to locate the CSH in the Community Human Services building on Lawn Street. However, since the development is focused on promoting local employment and local business development, as well as providing a new community center with mixed land use along the Boulevard of the Allies, our team proposes to use the Gulf Research Building as the new site for the CSH. Therefore, this plan develops Oakcliffe Square by purchasing that property and the gas station. It addresses the following four dimensions of community development over the next twenty years.

First, for workforce development, it provides skill training with internships at local institutions and organizations and works with local businesses and institutions to spin off new entrepreneurial opportunities, which will increase access to jobs for local people while promoting a robust local economy. The proposed projects are dedicated to delivering on the vision's promise to create a total of 800 direct jobs in four phases over twenty years to foster sustainable local business development in our neighborhood.

Second, the plan creates suitable street environments that promote attachment to place and a sense of intimacy with the neighborhood for local people. A tree-planting program will dramatically improve the neighborhood's tree canopy, which is complemented by installing crosswalks and upgrading street paving. Affordable housing is created in the building vacated by Community Human Services and by offering incentives to improve other existing housing, especially along the east side of the neighborhood.

Third, the team envisions a local park that connects to a broader green network. By adding trails and bike lanes along the hillside, it connects residents to other parts of Oakland and Schenley Park. Stewardship of the urban forest will result in a coherent ecological corridor. In addition, projects that promote a fifteen-minute neighborhood will include mixed land uses along the Boulevard of the Allies, local business incubators, and affordable, high-quality housing. Oakcliffe Square will expand the original hub of services into a vibrant, multi-functional center. There will be accessible open spaces with a sense of place and facilities for all ages. Along with great streets, this will improve walkability and connectivity throughout the community.

The initial Hub is a catalyst for four phases of strategic development over the next twenty years to increase reinvestment and resilience throughout the community in all four dimensions of community life. This process diagram above shows how these projects contribute to order, vitality, and resilience—the qualities of a successful ecosystem. The left side of the diagram shows the projects by phase, and the right side shows the expected outcomes and their impacts.

This process values local feedback loops in each stage to help improve programs and make more effective use of resources. Accomplishing this vision means that in twenty years, no matter what happens to our neighborhood, Oakcliffe will be able to thrive.

Public Comment Party!

Want a say in the future of Oakland?

Two important projects are seeking public input, and your voice matters. We’ll walk you through the basics and let you know how to get involved.

Bus Rapid Transit [now closed]

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) promises to deliver faster, more comfortable and cost-effective services via dedicated lanes and coordinated operations.

Five major service changes are planned for the first phase of construction in Downtown-Uptown, including changes to all the 61 and 71 routes in Oakland.

Does this affect you? Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) is accepting public comment through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1.

To learn more, check out their website for a map and video of the service changes.

Stormwater Strategic Plan

What to do about flooding, water pollution, and crumbling infrastructure? Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) has a plan for that.

The Stormwater Strategic Plan uses climate data, regional studies, community input, and peer best practices to provide recommendations that consider equity, the environment, priority sites, and water quality.

After years of underinvestment—and increased rainfall—the time is now to articulate a strategy for stormwater management in Pittsburgh.

Open through June 30, 2023.

OPDC is your voice in Oakland!

Is there a community issue that warrants more discussion? OPDC invites public input throughout the year via our Contact Us page.

One issue we’re seeking input on is the zoning proposals associated with the Oakland Plan. While the plan was adopted by the Planning Commission in June 2022, the zoning proposals are still under negotiation in City Council.

To learn more, check out our Oakland Plan Zoning page, and send us your comments and questions.

Rental Registration and Quality of Life Ticketing When?

We were supposed to be living in a rental registration world by now.

But the original deadline for property owners to register rentals, December 31, 2022, has come and gone, and we are still without a system to ensure safe living conditions for renters in Pittsburgh.

A lawsuit filed in May 2022 by the Apartment Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (AAMP) challenged the program’s fees and the lead inspection requirement. After much delay, a hearing is scheduled for January 17.

“We’re just asking for safe rental accommodation,” says Liz Gray, Neighborhood Quality Consultant at OPDC. “We’ve had apartment fires, house fires, incidents where people have died in rentals.”

Also in limbo is quality of life (QOL) ticketing, a strategy that would make it easier for the city to cite refuse, weeds, and debris violations—a huge win for all of the work that Oakwatch has done over the past decade.

Gray explains it this way: “When you park a car illegally, you get a ticket. It’s the same for when you leave your cans on the sidewalk for five days or if your grass is over a foot tall. You get a ticket and pay a fine, or go to court.”

Don’t worry—the cops won’t be coming to your door. “The Department of Public Works will be enforcing the ordinance, primarily for weed and debris violations at problem properties.”

Join Let’s Talk: Rental Registration + QOL Ticketing on Wed, Jan 18.

Oakland Knows Cookies

Enjoy these recipes from neighbors. Thank you for your submissions!

Make sure to join us for our Holiday Party on December 15 to try some of these cookies for yourself and perhaps even contribute your own.

Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies with Flaky Sea Salt

Samantha Gallagher

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz unsalted softened butter

  • ½ cup tahini

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1 ¾ cup chocolate chunks/chips

  • Flaky sea salt!

Directions:

  1. Cream butter, egg, tahini, and sugar. Add vanilla.

  2. (They say in a separate bowl do this… but I never listen). Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

  3. Fold in chocolate chips. Best when you also throw in some chocolate chunks you’ve cut from a bar. YUM!

  4. Refrigerate dough for 12 hours. (DON’T SKIP THIS).

  5. Form dough into balls and bake at 325°F for 13-16 minutes.

Granny’s Gingerbread Cookies

Hannah Fierle

This recipe was passed on to me from my maternal grandmother, Shirley Veahman, who attributes it to her own grandmother, Granny Alice Weyanet Hugus. Granny Alice was the eldest of twelve children and the daughter of Irish-American immigrants, and my Grammy remembers her as stern yet loving.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Crisco

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup molasses

  • 1 egg

  • ½ cup buttermilk OR 1 Tbsp vinegar into measuring cup, then fill to ½ cup with regular milk)

  • About 4 cups flour (enough to make dough firm)

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 tsp ginger

  • 1 tsp cinnamon

  • ½ tsp cloves

  • 1 tsp soda

Directions:

  1. Mix wet ingredients together.

  2. Add dry ingredients.

  3. Mix flour into dough until firm enough to roll out.

  4. Roll out onto a floured cutting board until about ¼ inch thick and use floured cookie cutters to cut out cookies.

  5. Bake at 400°F for 7 minutes.

Snowball Cookies

Gracie Irons

My grandma used to make these cookies for us each year, so they are my favorite cookies during the season!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter

  • 1 cup powdered sugar + more for coating

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 ¼ cups chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

  2. Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and salt and mix. Slowly add flour. Once a dough forms, add chopped pecans and mix well. Allow dough to rest in fridge for a couple of hours.

  3. Scoop 1 Tbsp of dough and roll into a ball onto cookie sheet. Continue until all the dough is in balls around the same size. Place on sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

  4. Allow cookies to rest before rolling them in the sugar. Make sure they are slightly warm when rolled in sugar.

  5. We usually store them in a cartoon of powdered sugar. This recipe should make around 48 cookies.

Chewy Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate

Lizabeth Gray

Ingredients:

  • 1 14-ounce package sweetened shredded coconut (about 5 cups)

  • 5 large egg whites, lightly beaten

  • ⅔ cups sugar

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt

  • ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

  • 6 oz dark chocolate, melted for dipping

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  2. Throw the coconut, egg whites, sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla into a bowl and give it a stir until combined.

  3. Using a cookie scoop, drop the cookies an inch apart on a baking sheet; suggest using parchment paper.

  4. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes and make sure to rotate the sheet halfway through. They should be a golden toasty color when you take them out of the oven. Transfer onto wire rack to cool.

  5. Once the cookies are cool, dip the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate OR you can drizzle the chocolate across the top of the cookies. Put them on a parchment sheet until they are cool.

You can store these cookies for a week in an air-tight container.

You can switch things up by adding crushed pineapple to the coconut mix and then drizzling with white chocolate instead of dark.

Lemon Cheese Triangles

Andrea Boykowycz

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 1/3 cup butter or margarine, soft

  • 8 oz. package soft cream cheese

  • 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar un-sifted

  • 3 cups flour un-sifted

  • 1 1/3 tsp grated lemon peel

  • 1 1/3 tsp lemon juice

Filling:

  • 4 cups dry cottage cheese

  • 3 eggs

  • 1 1/3 cup sugar

  • 2/3 cup flour un-sifted

  • 1/3 cup lemon juice

  • 4 tsp grated lemon peel

  • ¼ tsp salt

Directions:

Crust:

  1. Blend butter and cream cheese on low speed. Add rest of ingredients and blend until dough forms.

  2. Cover dough. Chill 30 minutes, or hold up to 3 days if desired.

Filling:

  1. Blend all ingredients at low speed on mixer.

  2. Cook in double boiler until thick, stirring occasionally—about 10 minutes.

  3. Cool over cold water.

After preparing dough and filling:

  1. Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll each part on surface lightly dusted with flour OR between parchment paper to a 10” square. Measure with a ruler and keep edges straight.

  2. Cut into 2 ½” squares—4 across, 4 down.

  3. Place 1 tsp filling in center of each square OR press mixture through pastry bag with a plain ½” tube.

  4. Fold squares to form a triangle—line up edges neatly. Seal edges with tip fork dipped in flour.

  5. Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes.

  6. When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Hrebintsi

Andrea Boykowycz

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour

  • ½ lb butter

  • 1 tsp sour cream

  • Juice of ½ lemon

  • 1 egg yolk

  • Apricot pie filling

Directions:

Dough:

  1. Beat together all ingredients except for apricot pie filling.

  2. Refrigerate overnight.

  3. Next day: roll flat to about ¼ inch. Cut into rectangles roughly 3” by 2”.

  4. Stuff with apricot pie filling.

  5. Fold over dough long-ways (“hotdog-style”), seal, bend slightly so that the rectangles are now arched, and press edges down with fork.

  6. Brush rectangles with egg white.

  7. Sprinkle with coarse sugar/nuts.

  8. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes.

Alexander Torte

Andrea Boykowycz

Ingredients:

  • ½ lb butter

  • 2 ¾ cup flour

  • 3 Tbsp sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 ½ cups seedless raspberry preserves

  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar

  • ½ cup water

  • 2 tsp lemon juice.

  • … a little bit of vodka (optional)

Directions:

Dough and Filling:

  1. Blend butter, flour, and sugar. Beat with egg (and a little bit of vodka, if desired) until smooth.

  2. Refrigerate until firm.

  3. Divide dough in two. Roll between lightly floured parchment paper until thin (roughly 1/8 inch).

  4. Preheat oven to 250°F on buttered and floured sheet for 40 minutes.

  5. Heat seedless raspberry preserves.

  6. Spread raspberry preserves across surface of one of the baked sheets of dough, layering the other sheet on top (like a sandwich!)

Icing:

  1. Beat together confectioners’ sugar, water, and lemon juice until smooth.

  2. Spread icing on top layer of the torte.

Finally…

Cut into diamond shapes.

Lemon Snaps

Andrea Boykowycz

Ingredients:

  • 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 ½ cups sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 tsp pure lemon extract

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

  • ½ tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp ground ginger

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • Grated zest of 1 lemon

  • 1/3 cup (2 oz.) minced crystallized ginger

Makes about 30 cookies.

Directions:

  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

  2. Place butter and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Add the lemon extract and continue to beat until combined.

  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, salt, and lemon zest in a small bowl.

  4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until the dough is smooth. Add the crystallized ginger and continue to beat until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.

  5. Roll pieces of the dough between your palms to form 1-inch balls. Arrange the dough balls on ungreased baking sheets, 1 ½ inches apart.

  6. Bake the cookies until lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

  7. Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them directly on the rack to finish cooling. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Italian Lemon Cookies

Maria Sciulli

Ingredients:

  • 5 eggs

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 cup vegetable oil

  • Rind of 1 lemon grated

  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

  • 3 ½ cups flour—maybe more, until dough can be rolled in your hands

Directions:

  1. Mix oil, eggs, sugar, lemon rind, and juice. Slowly add flour until a soft dough forms.

  2. Shape into small balls and roll in powdered sugar.

  3. Bake at 390°F 15-20 minutes, until slightly golden.

Chocolate Crinkles

Jared Cline

My family used many classic Betty Crocker recipes, including this one from 1963, my favorite at Christmastime. You can see what it looked like in the original cook book here.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 4 sq unsweeteened chocolate (4 oz.), melted

  • 2 cups granulated sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 tsp vanilla

  • 2 cups Gold Medal Flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Mix oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt into oil mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat over to 350°F. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into confectioners’ sugar. Roll in sugar; shape into balls. Place about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min. Do not overbake! Makes about 6 doz. cookies.