Mimi’s Molasses Cookies
My great-grandma Mimi’s molasses cookies don’t look like much. But once you start eating them, good luck stopping of your own volition.
Now, they’re not really predominantly molasses — and if we described them more truly they might be called Shortening Cookies (I know, bear with me though) — but, as with many things, these cookies are defined most by the small number of truly unique characteristics.
If you take these out a little on the early side, you get a satisfyingly chewy, cake-y texture; longer bake times give you more of a ginger snap feeling. Both have their supporters and detractors — I like crunchy with tea and chewy with frosting, hand over fist.
¾ c. Crisco
1 c. white granulated sugar
¼ c. molasses
1 egg
2 t. baking soda
2 c. sifted flour
½ t. each: ground clove, ground ginger, and salt
1 t. cinnamon
Melt the shortening, either over medium-low heat on the stove or in a pyrex measuring cup in the microwave (about 20 seconds at a time to be sure not to overdo it) and set it aside to cool.
Preheat oven to a temperature of 375 degrees.
Once the shortening reaches room temperature, proceed by combining it with the sugar, molasses, and egg.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Once well combined, add a little at a time to the molasses mixture until mixed well. Take a tablespoon of the dough or so at a time and roll it into a sphere between your palms and arrange on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 9-11 minutes. Cool on racks and no matter how tempting don’t bite into one til it has been out of the oven for some time!
When the cookies have reached room temperature, make a simple icing.
Put a cup of confectioners sugar in a bowl and add cream while stirring vigorously with a fork until the icing is about the thickness of cream cheese. Spread on cooled cookie with a butter knife.
The cookies freeze beautifully, if you have any left!
Dec. 26, 2013 editor’s note: the amounts of baking soda, salt and cinnamon were incorrect when originally published and have been corrected. Sorry for any inconvenience!
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