Brown Sugar Cookies

Like molasses cookies but have no molasses?  Try these....you'll never know the difference.

1 1/2 Stick Salted Butter, Softened

1 1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1 Large Egg

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Mix well.  Add to the butter mixture until well incorporated, scraping bowl well.

Use a 1 Tbl scoop to drop onto a cookie sheet lined with silicone mats OR non stick foil.  Place about 2 inches apart.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.  If you like crispy cookies, cool on the cookie sheet.

Joe Froggers

Ladies Home Journal ceased publication this year.  Not long after, my mother in law found a cookie insert from December of 1980.  I am slowly working my way through in homage to LHJ.  This week, Joe Froggers (tweaked, of course).

1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Sugar
4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tsp Ginger
1/2 Tsp Clove
1/2 Tsp AllSpice
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Molasses
1/2 Cup Corn Syrup
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Dark Rum
3 Tbl HOT Water

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Add salt and spices then gradually add flour to the creamed mixture.  Combine Molasses, Corn Syrup and Baking Soda.  Pour into mixer and blend until well mixed.  Combine rum and water, pour into mixture and continue to beat at low speed until well mixed.  Cover and chill at least two hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with silicone mats, parchment OR non stick foil.  Divide dough into quarters, working with one quarter at a time while the remaining dough is refrigerated.  Flour your work surface and roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick for a soft cookie, 1/8 for a crisp cookie.  Cut into 4 inch circles. Transfer to cookie sheets and bake 15 minutes.

Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

Recently, I tried a Molasses Sugar Cookie for the first time.  My niece has a great recipe that I will share, if she doesn't mind.  In the mean time, I had 1/2 cup of pumpkin in the refrigerator left over from making Creme Brûlée, so Pumpkin Molasses Cookies seemed to be a great idea.  Hubby thought so - he said he liked them better than the ones he used to eat with his Pop Pop.

1/2 Cup Butter, Softened

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/4 Cup Molasses

1 Large Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla

2 Tsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp Ginger

1/2 Tsp Salt

2 1/3 Cup Flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

Sugar for rolling

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg and vanilla - mix until well combined.  Add the cinnamon, salt and ginger, mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine Flour and Baking Soda.  Slowly add to wet ingredients and mix until combined.  Put in a small bowl, cover tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 24.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner, parchment or non stick foil.  Place about a cup of sugar in a small bowl.  Drop balls of dough into sugar and roll to coat then place on the pan.  Bake for about 12 minutes until they start to get crinkly.  Remove from oven, leave on pan for 1 to 2 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Family Friday Returns - Gingerbread

This recipe is one that was shared by my Mother In Law.  Her mother always made this for Sunday dinner because it was a favorite of her husband.  Per the recipe card, this recipe is over 100 years old.  My Hubby, who doesn't like ginger cookies, was pleasantly surprised that he liked it.  So was I - until I realized that this recipe does not actually contain Ginger.  Serve alone or with whipped cream.  Makes 16 servings.

  1/2 Cup Butter                                                   1 Tsp Cinnamon

  1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar                                   1/2 Tsp Salt

  1 Large Egg, Beaten                                          1 Cup Molasses

  2 1/2 Cups Flour, Sifted                                      1 Cup Hot Water

  1 1/2 Tsp Soda                                                                        

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x9x2 inch pan.

Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add beaten egg.  In another bowl, measure and sift dry ingredients.  In a measuring cup, combined hot water and flour.  Add dry ingredients and water mixture alternately, a little at a time, to the shortening mixture.  Beat well after each addition.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Per Serving: 220 Cal (26% from Fat, 4% from Protein, 70% from Carb); 2 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 4 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 39 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 18 g Sugar; 52 mg Calcium; 3 mg Iron; 247 mg Sodium