Molasses Cookies

These are an all time favorite with my family. The recipe is from my mother in law who’s been making these cookies for years. She always keeps them in her big brown cookie jar which seems to keep them moist for a long time, that is, if they last that long! Molasses is a thick syrup by-product from the processing of sugar cane or sugar beet into sugar and has been in North America for over 200 years. Click here to find out about its many uses. It’s amazing the things you find out when you research a topic. I’m from Saint John, NB and have always liked Crosby’s molasses but since we’ve been living in Asia for the past 9 years, all I could find was Grandma’s molasses. I’ve just found out that Grandma’s is made by Crosby’s! It’s great seeing a product from my hometown sold in Asian grocery stores.

3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup flour
3 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 1/2 cups flour

In a bowl, cream the shortening with sugar. Add molasses, egg, vinegar and water until combined. Add 1 cup of flour to the molasses and mix until blended. Then combine the remaining flour with all the dry ingredients and add to molasses mixture. Using a tablespoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 180c (350f).

The Culinary Chase’s Note: Flatten the cookie dough by using a circular base which has a pattern etched in it. I used the bottom of a crystal vase. Dampen the bottom, dip in sugar and then flatten the cookie dough down. Repeat this for every cookie to be flattened. Enjoy with a nice cup of tea!