Carole Lombard's Scotch Cookies

Karie Bible
Jul 3
2 min read

Two Lombard experts showed us some rare memorabilia, plus we ate Carole's cookies.

Carole Lombard remains one of the most beloved stars of the 1930s. She starred in several memorable screwball comedies including Twentieth Century, My Man Godfrey and Nothing Sacred, which landed her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. Her 1939 marriage to Clark Gable made headlines around the world and established them as Hollywood's reigning power couple.

We've covered Carole Lombard before, but we just can't get enough of her! Previous Hollywood Kitchen episodes include her Cherry Tart (with her biographer Robert Matzen) and the Golden Fizz cocktail. This time collector Carole Sampeck flew into Los Angeles just for this episode. Many of her rare Lombard items are on display as part of the "Ladies of Paramount" exhibit at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. The exhibit kicks off July 5th and runs until early October 2025. We are giving you a sneak peak.

Recipe

This recipe is from the "Hollywood Cookie Book", which was published in 1936.

I made a few adjustments to the ingredients to make a smaller batch.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Vanilla

Small bit of baking powder

Directions

Sift flour before measuring. Use large cup. Work into small loaf and let stand until cold. Slice and bake.

(There are no specific instructions here about oven temperature of baking times. I come across this problem a lot with vintage recipes. I looked up other Scotch cookie recipes and they suggest 300 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes until the edges are brown.)

Special Guest

Carole Sampeck fell in love with Gone with the Wind at the age of 14 years old, which led to her passion for film. Through Clark Gable, she developed an interest in Carole Lombard, which led to her friendship with their former employee Jean Garceau. Sampeck has an impressive collection of Lombard memorabilia which includes photos, personal scrapbooks and even Lombard's infant clothing. She has generously loaned many of these items to the Hollywood Heritage Museum.

Debbie Beno collects memorabilia on Carole Lombard and Tyrone Power. She is an active volunteer with the Hollywood Heritage Museum.

Video

Final Result

These cookies are a winner! They are easy to make and delicious.

There are several items in the exhibit that blew my mind. One of them was the lace veil that was one of the last things Carole wore. It was in the suitcase when her plane crashed and miraculously survived in tact.