Soft And Chewy Molasses Cookies

So, hello there! I'm sitting at my kitchen island, watching the train go by. I'm cuddled up with a fluffy blanket and a hot cocoa is at my side, as I've been cold all day. For some reason, I've been very cold lately which is odd, considering we've been experiencing warmer weather. This week, I've been baking a lot. I'm trying to improve my gluten free goodies. If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you would have seen the gluten free cheesy crackers that I baked today. Earlier in the week, I baked amazing oatmeal bread for the gluten eaters of the household (I'm a glutenvore) and last night, I made homemade gluten free granola bars. I used to make granola bars all the time, never considering that they were gluten free. These granola bars are a breeze to make and are more economical than buying gluten free granola bars. I will share the recipe the next time I make them! (I'm not yelling, I'm just really excited.)

Last week, I baked molasses cookies. I love homemade cookies; my favorites being chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and molasses cookies. In a post that I wrote a few years ago, I mentioned an old recipe book that I had, where old hand written recipes from the 1940's - 1950's had been collected. This book contains a handful of molasses cookie recipes. So, I combined all of my favorite elements from a few recipes and made my own recipe.

The Recipe:

Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1 stick of butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs (1 egg if you want less chewy cookies)

1 tbsp. baking soda

1/2 cup strong black coffee

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp. cream of tartar (or Bakewell Creme)

3 cups flour

- In a mug, combine the hot coffee and the baking soda and set aside.
- Cream the sugars, the shortening and the butter until fluffy. Then, add the molasses and egg(s) and mix until combined.
- Slowly add the flour, alternately with the coffee mixture, until a dough is formed.
- Refrigerate for one hour.

Initially, I tried rolling out the dough and cutting the cookies, but they were too soft. So, I used the drop method, instead!

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spoon small mounds of dough, six at a time, on a lined cookie sheet. The cookies spread, so it's best to give them adequate space.
- Flatten each mound slightly and sprinkle with white sugar.
- Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes.
- Allow to cool and enjoy!

I stored these in a cake safe, they were too chewy to place in a cookies jar. These didn't not last very long in my house, we all love cookies! I've recently decided to incorporate more baking in my week. Homemade bread and cookies are so much tastier! Not the mention, they are better for you and cost a fraction of the price of store bought baked goods. The kitchen always smells fantastic! I always post photos of what I'm baking on Instagram and I share them on Twitter and Tumblr. I will happily recipes on this blog as well! If you're on  any of the social sites that I mentioned keep and eye out for my pics. You can find me by clicking on the link on the side of my wall. If you try making these cookies, share your photos and tag me, I"d love to see them! Until then~ Toodahloo!