We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, August 16, 2010

Tutorial Tuesday: Molasses Cookies

So a little bit ago, I tried my hand at homemade sparkling sugar and a homemade allspice substitute (found in this post). The following is the tutorial for the yummy cookies I needed those ingredients for!

I used this recipe for my first try at Molasses Cookies.

Prep: 15 min.; Cook: 11 min. per batch; Other: 1 hr.
Yield: Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients

  • 3/4  cup  shortening
  • 1  cup  granulated sugar
  • 1  large egg
  • 1/4  cup  molasses
  • 2  cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1  teaspoon  baking powder
  • 1  teaspoon  baking soda
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
  • 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
  • 1/2  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground cloves
  • 1/4  teaspoon  ground allspice
  • 1  cup  sparkling sugar

Preparation

1. Beat shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; beat well.
2. Combine flour and next 8 ingredients, stirring well. Add one-fourth of flour mixture at a time to shortening mixture, beating at low speed after each addition until blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in sparkling sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake at 375° for 9 to 11 minutes. (Tops will crack.) Remove to wire racks to cool completely.



Mix up the batter according to instructions.


Let a very dedicated helper taste it to make sure it's perfect.


Get greedy and plop ice cream scoop sized cookies on the pan and sadly watch them blend together in the oven.


First batch. Left them in too long (because they didn't look done to me) and made them too big.


Second batch. Almost perfect timing, but the cookies were still too big. Argh.


Final batch. Ok, so the recipe was right, drop tiny nearly one inch cookies on the pan and they'll spread out to perfectly respectable cookie size.


As for the previous batches, I used a pizza cutter on one pan.


And broke the other pan of cookies apart by hand. I liked the way the broken ones looked.


But the important thing to remember, is that no matter their shape......


Your little helper (who has by now removed his batter splashed shirt) will love them.


Enjoy your beautiful Tuesday!

3 comments:

  1. These look so good! Also, I've been absorbed in your blog this morning...particularly the spa/facial treatments. Are you still happy with virgin coconut oil for a cleanser? I can't wait to try some of these things. (The shampoo-free idea is one that's had my interest for a while...but my hair is SOOO oily as it is. I don't know if I'd make it past the rough stage!)Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Marie- Thanks! Those cookies were gone quickly :)
    YES I love the VCO for facial cleansing. It's amazing! I need to do a new review on it, actually to tell about this stage I'm going through. Thanks for checking out the spa recipes! I love finding out all this stuff and am always excited when someone else expresses interest in it as well.

    I agree, I've read accounts of terribly greasy transition stages using the no shampoo method, but the end result is wonderful! Please let me know if you decide to do it, I'd love to know what you think of it.

    ReplyDelete

Start Swagging!

Recommended reading and other products...