MOLASSES SUGAR CRACKLES

A couple of days ago, I made my favorite Whole Wheat Bread, that uses Molasses as one of the ingredients.  While kneading the bread dough, my mind drifted to one of my favorite cookies. When the bread was rising, I made these “oh so good” cookies.  One of the ingredients in this yummy cookie is molasses. I remember my first taste of this cookie at a high school bake sale.  It was an instant hit on my tongue!  I found out who made the cookies, and got the recipe.  To my suprise they had molasses…..but I don’t care for molasses.  Oh well, they are fantastic! Try them soon, even if you don’t like Molasses.

They are the perfect cookies for a bake sale

or

for a neighbor,

because they look so good – see those wonderful cracks filled with sugar!

I only made a single batch,

so I just used my hand mixer.

Simple…

The recipe says to refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

I never do.

Who knows… they might be even prettier if I did.

You choose.

Plop a ball in your bowl of sugar

Roll it around until it’s well coated

Line em up

I don’t grease my pans.

These cookies are the perfect “smell of fall” cookies.

ginger, cinnamon, cloves

I couldn’t resist

These cookies stay soft and chewy for days.

They also freeze well.

Try them soon……even if you hate Molasses!

Here is the Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

3/4 cup shortening or margarine or butter

(I’ve always used half shortening – half butter)

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

(I don’t sift the flour)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

Granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Mix brown sugar, shortening/butter, molasses and egg.  Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.  Roll ball in granulated sugar.  Place balls on good baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.  Immediately remove to wire rack to cool.  (This recipe will make about 27 cookies)