I think the Christmas Season is a great time to bake cookies.
In my cookies, I prefer using butter over shortening. I love Soft Molasses Cookies Most recipes call for shortening. I wanted to make molasses cookies but being a skeptic of shortening, I made them with butter. The flavor was good but they were a bit tall and thick with no crinkle. No Crinkle? That seemed wrong. So I decided to try them with 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening. Still not quite enough butter flavor.
So I tried making them again with 2/3 butter and 1/3 shortening. They turned out nice. A bit of body, and spicy buttery flavor with crackles.
Give them a try and let me know what you think of them.
Soft Molasses Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Directions
1.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar with an
electric mixer. Beat in egg and molasses until well blended.
2.
In another bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and spices.
Stir into the creamed mixture until blended. Chill for at least an hour, or
until firm.
4.
Roll the chilled dough into small balls about 3/4-inch in
diameter. Roll each in the granulated sugar, and place on the baking sheet,
leaving 1-2 inches between cookies.
5.
Bake for 8-12 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a rack for 2
minutes, then remove to rack to cool completely.