Soft Molasses Cookies

Jody, over at Gumbo Lily, asserted the other day that these were the best cookies EVER.  Period. No argument.  Well, you know how that kind of thing gets my back up!  I had to make them for myself and find out. Molasses cookies/spice cookies/ginger snaps -- what's the difference? I know I don't really like ginger snaps -- they're too hot, and too hard! Adam loves them.  He likes a cookie that's more "toothsome," he says.  Toothsome?  I've heard him eat those things!  He's lucky to have teeth left!

Anyway, I made Jody's recipe just now, and I must say, these things are fabulous.  The recipe indicates to eat them hot from the oven.  That's a big mistake.  If you do that, you'll have none left for later, because you and your loves ones (the ones you allow into the kitchen, anyway) will wolf them all down.

This is how we cook these days.  I opened my laptop to Jody's post, and read it from there. I'd better write the recipe into my own personal cookbook soon, or I'll NEVER be able to find it again.

I must have music in my kitchen.  It feels lonely without music. I find it harder to cook. This is how we put music into our homes these days.  Gone are the big stereos. Gone are the LPs, 8-tracks, cassettes, and all that jazz.  Now, we use a tiny ipod. See the itty-bitty speakers?

Here's the cookie dough.  I promise, I'm coming to the recipe.  But to keep you blog-readers interested, I must give you pictures. Sigh :) I recently participated in a blog offer, and I still need to use the gift credit they gave me. I'm wanting to get a plastic guard to go on my Kitchenaid mixer -- I really need one.  My flour often ends up all over the counter, especially when I use the paddle attachment.

Okay, the cookies.  Here's the recipe:

Soft Molasses Cookies
~copied from an old Country Woman magazine

1/2 c. butter, soft
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 t. baking soda
2 t. ginger
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves

Cream first five ingredients in a mixing bowl, then add the dry ingredients a cup at a time, mixing as you go. Roll dough into 1" balls and then roll balls in a bowl of sugar. Place balls two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Do NOT over-bake. Eat hot out of the oven! If there are any left, keep cookies soft by storing them in cookie jar or covered container with a small chunk of bread. Makes approximately 3-4 dozen cookies.
[Ah!! I love copying and pasting! I didn't have to type any of that!]

I tried to take a pic of the middle of the cookie, because it looks so great -- soft, darker, not-quite-gooey.  Just perfect. This really is a soft molasses cookie.  The spicing isn't too hot, but it's there -- the taste of the spices. The molasses gives it depth. And I'll add that it's not too sweet, in spite of the sugar amount. The other flavors off-set the sugar. I don't like a sugary-sweet dessert.  I like flavor. This cookie has it!

And when I got tired of rolling all those little balls?  I had a helpful volunteer!