Tag: molasses

A Christmas Classic

SadieLeave a comment

Happy Christmas Eve!  There are about three or four Christmas cookie recipes that get made every December in my household.  Gingerbread cookies are one of them.  And this is a recipe I do not mess around with.  Sometimes I’ll try variations of my favorite Christmas cookies to make sure I’m making the best possible version, but not with these.  This recipe is basic and hits the spot every time.

One special thing about these cookies is that baking them is a tradition with my brothers and me.  The three of us typically find some time over our Christmas vacation and we make these.  My mom or I usually make the dough ahead of time, and when my brothers and I find a moment, we break out the cookie cutters.  We usually divide and conquer.  I am in charge of rolling out the dough and doing most of the cookie cutting.  Then one of my brother’s is in charge of egg washing the cookies, and the other decorates them with sprinkles.

Warning: this dough is best if it’s chilled overnight, you should just make it when you have a minute, stick it in the freezer, and pull it out later that week/month when you’re ready to bake them off

Gingerbread Cookies

Yields a lot, this is a big batch, From my mom

Ingredients

  • 1 cup molasses (NOT blackstrap)
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda (dissolved in ½ cup water)
  • 2 eggs
  • 5-6 cups flour (sometimes I put in some whole wheat flour)

Method

  1. Cream together molasses, shortening, and sugar.  Add eggs and baking soda dissolved in water.  Mixture will look a little curdled at this point.wet part
  2. In a separate bowl combine 2 cups of flour with the spices, and salt.
  3. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet.  After combined, continue to add 3-4 more cups of flour until the mixture is pretty stiff.batter up
  4. Allow dough to chill in freezer overnight.
  5. Let dough defrost on counter for about an hour, or move it from the freezer to the fridge when you wake up in the morning.
  6. Preheat oven to 375.
  7. Use flour on your surface and rolling pin.  Roll out cookies in batches and use cookie cutters to cut them out.  Try to put cookies on baking sheets that are of similar sizes.  I usually categorize by big cookies, medium size, and tiny ones, and I’ll do a couple trays of each.  You can choose to do an egg wash and apply sprinkles before they go in the oven, or frost after the bake.
  8. Bake 12-15 minutes until a little puffy and firm to the touch.  Allow to cool and decorate as you see fit.yum

expertly decorated

Old School Baking

SadieLeave a comment

I had a culinary discovery the other day in the super market in Connecticut: Hermit cookies.  I found them in the bakery section of the store.  I’ve never seen such a cookie.  They are baked in a loaf and sliced like fat biscotti, but they are a lot softer.  Their texture is somewhere between a cookie and a muffin, and they are traditionally spicy, they taste a lot like gingerbread because they have all of that flavoring.  Long story short: Yum.

I tried to research them online since I’ve never heard of them before and I found a lot of conflicting information.  All I can figure out is that they are older, more traditional cookies from the religious groups who settled in New England.  Here I am thinking that the New England baking expertise revolved around donuts of the Dunkin variety, and I had totally overlooked these gems.  As I said, they are spicy, and reminiscent of Thanksgiving and Christmas dessert flavors.   A good cookie, a good snack, a good find.  Give them a try!

Hermit Cookie

From The Food Network

Yields 4-5 dozen cookies depending on size you slice them (about 6 loaves that you will end up slicing, it’s a big recipe)

Ingredients

  • 4 cups AP flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup)
  • 2 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, plus 1 for eggwash
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 3/4 cup golden raisons
  • 3/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
  • 2 1/2 Tbs chopped crystalized ginger

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Sift together flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.  Set Aside
  3. Cream together butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs one at a time, then molasses.  Gradually add dry mixture but to not over mix.
  4. Fold in dried fruit and nuts.

    They look appetizing, right?
  5. Line cookie sheets with parchment.  Form dough into about 6 thin logs with plenty of space to spread while baking (believe me, they will spread).  Logs should be 1-2 inches wide and about 1 inch high.  Paint logs with egg wash before placing in oven.
  6. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 (make sure they are done, mine took a little longer but I’m blaming my oven).
  7. Allow to cool then slice into thick slices (like fat biscotti).