We are burning up the linoleum in the kitchen over the past several days. Our Christmas celebration is mostly homemade this year, so the mixing,
baking,
chopping,
dipping,
and stirring
have been especially heavy-duty. Blog ideas swirl through my head as I work, but there is little time to get them down to share. Just in case you haven’t had enough cookies, here is the recipe for The Husband’s Molasses Cookies, perfect for holiday cookie plates or afternoon pick-me-ups. These get scarfed by The Husband’s fellow Overpaid Government Workers and family alike. They are soft and easy to make and Christmasy and perfect.
Molasses Cookies
from The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion
forty 3” cookies
8 T. butter, softened
½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. molasses
2 eggs
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
2 ¼ t. baking soda
2 ¼ t. ground ginger
1 ½ t. ground cloves (We were out of ground, so The Husband heroically ground whole cloves two times to get the texture fine enough.)
1 ½ t. cinnamon
additional granulated sugar to coat cookies
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar. Beat in the molasses and eggs.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients except the additional sugar. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing until smooth. Refrigerate until well-chilled.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll the dough into balls about the size of golf balls. Roll each ball in a small bowl of granulated sugar. Place 2” apart on lightly-greased or silpat-lined baking sheets. You can use parchment, too, but really, you just need to get a couple of silpats – your life will never be the same.
Bake for 13 minutes. They will have flattened but not browned significantly. If you let them get brown at the edges, they’ll be less chewy and moist, so don’t do that, because chewy and moist is the point of these cookies. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in a sealed container. Add a slice of fresh apple to help keep them moist, if you like.
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