Monday, December 13, 2010

Ginger Cookies

Sunday I realized it was December 12th. I also realized that my beloved daughter had signed me up to bring sugar cookies to her "Winter Holiday Party" aka a Christmas Party, before we had to be politically correct.

We also had "Family Night at Christmas" at our church, and I needed to bring either a salty or sweet snack.

Did you know I'm ridiculously proud and hard headed about silly things?

Like cookies.

I refuse to buy them.

So, Sunday after I had my requisite nap, I endeavored to make sugar cookies for a school party, and ginger cookies for the church party.


Please notice the coffee cup in the background. A strong cup of coffee is a must for baking cookies. I noticed that hazelnut coffee goes well with this particular dough...Don't pretend you don't snitch some dough as you go. How else are you to be sure you didn't accidentally leave something out? Sampling dough is imperative to good baking!

These cookies are truly delightful. I don't know why so few people make ginger cookies anymore.

They resemble a ginger snap, but they are softer and chewier, which I love.

This recipe calls for oil, so they don't work well for rolling and cutting out. However, last year I substituted the oil with equal parts softened butter, and they rolled out fine. They were more crisp, like one would expect a ginger snap to be.

As I was not going to bother with rolling and icing cookies that would be in a giant buffet of treats, and I would get no glory for (just being real here), I decided to stick with the original recipe. Because, truly, although I do love a good iced cookie, if nobody's going to ooh and aah over the hard work I've done, I'm not putting forth the effort.

Now, here's the recipe that has been missing from your cookbook, and you didn't even know it. Try it. You will fall in love, and your family will "rise up and call you blessed"....


Ginger Cookies:

2/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 c sugar
4 Tblsp molasses

2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

granulated sugar for dipping

Mix first four ingredients. Combine dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Roll into balls by hand, then roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet, and bake at 350 for about 8-10 minutes, or until done.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Hey! I will share a sugar cookie post with you tomorrow! Complete with decorating ideas! How exciting is that? Maybe I will pretend to be Pioneer Woman and do an entire week of cookies....

Minus the gazillion readers.

And great pictures.

And ridiculous wealth.

But, other than that, I'm pretty sure we are two peas in a pod.


2 comments:

Freckled Hen said...

These look delicious, thanks for sharing...and I'm looking forward to more recipes!

Marilyn said...

Well guess what!!!! I read you and I rarely read the Pioneer Woman. It takes too much time. These are wonderful cookies and I know that I need to bake some, or at least something before Christmas gets here.