Molasses Cookies

So I needed to make something for the Institute Christmas party...ok, I didn't need to, I volunteered to because I like making treats.  But then, my life started getting busy (because let's be honest, I have been pretty much playing all week!).  So, on Monday, I spent sometime trying to figure out what to make.  Many fabulous cookies and brownies passed before my eyes, but I didn't have time to go to the store for the ingredients that I didn't have.  (Which I am currently working on fixing so that never happens, but I had forgotten about the existence of bakers chocolate and I don't regularly buy nutella because then I just eat it.)   Anyways, these were the only cookies that I looked at that I had all of the ingredients for at home, although I did use regular crisco instead of butter-flavored.

At the institute party, these cookies got compliments, so it wasn't just me that liked them.  My favorite compliment: "Don't tell my mom, but your ginger cookies are totally better than hers."  And then I felt like a success :)

If you have never used molasses before or it has been a while, remember the following: (1) pour vegetable oil into your clean measuring cup to fill it up, (2) pour oil back into original container (3) measure molasses and dump into the recipe.

Also, it says in the tutorial, but don't over cook these...if you think they are done, they are done.  Don't let them get brown, or they will be hard the next day and that is sad.

Well, here is the link:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/10/ginger-spice-cookies/

Ginger Spice Cookies
recipe from Paula Deen

Ingredients:
3/4 C Butter flavored Crisco
1 C sugar, plus more for rolling
1 large egg
1/4 C molasses
2 C flour
2 t baking soda
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat.  Or don’t line them at all :)

With an electric mixer, combine shortening and sugar and cream until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the egg and the molasses and beat until completely incorporated.

Sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt

and then add to the mixture. Stir until combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.

Place on cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just set around the edges and you start to see “crackling” on the top.

Don’t overbake! You want to keep them nice and chewy-soft in the middle.

Yield: about 4 dozen (thanks to a reader for counting for me!)

-anna