Soft Molasses Cookies

Happy Thursday Lovelies

and a much more pleasant day today.. even if it started on the chilly side

It’s my birthday next week... age is just a number.. right?  A parcel has arrived from my daughter and her little family in England. It contains.. amongst other things... all the lovely goodies.. which were all available to buy in the 1940s... that I miss and can’t get here in the US. Well I can.. but they cost an absolute fortune!

Now I have treacle and currants... you know what that means..

Time to make my Christmas Cake!.. Ten weeks today is Christmas Day.. and it will need a lot of feeding!

Im really enjoying the cooler Autumn weather... although after the rain.. its been blazing sunshine today. With the Autumn, comes all the rich spicy smells and flavours of cinnamon, and nutmeg, and ginger, etc.  I made some quick and easy Molasses Cookies, taken from the American Womans Cookbook, 1942. They were lovely

Just a quick comment on the original recipe. I chilled the dough in the fridge for a bit longer than ten minutes. It was easier to handle. And for my oven 15 minutes baking was too long.  The first tray I baked caught slightly and the cookie was hard. So I reduced the time to 10 minutes and they came out perfect. I left them to cool on the tray before moving them so they firmed up 

3 cups sifted flour 

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ginger

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup shortening, melted

1 cup molasses

2 tablespoons warm water

1 egg, beaten

• Sift dry ingredients together. 
• Combine remaining ingredients. 
• Add sifted ingredients
• Mix thoroughly and let stand about 10 minutes. 
• Roll out on floured board, cut and bake in hot oven (400 F.) about 10-15 minutes. 

The American Womans Cookbook,
by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1942

Lemon Molasses Cookies

Another Molasses cookie recipe.. this time from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, February 1947. These cookies are soft and spicy.. with a lovely hint of lemon.  Very nice!

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 well-beaten egg

1/2 cup light molasses

11/2 cups enriched flour

1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 cup milk
11/2 cups enriched flour

• Thoroly cream shortening and sugar. 
• Add lemon peel, egg, and molasses; beat well. 
• Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk; mix well. 
• Drop from teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. 
• Bake in moderate oven (350°) 15 minutes

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
February 1947

Molasses Cookies

This cookie recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, March 1940. The are simple to make, not very sweet, with a rich molasses flavour and a hint of coffee. Hubby said they are lovely with his morning coffee.

This recipe makes a LOT of cookies.. so I halved the recipe and they were still a success. 

3/4 cup shortening 

1 cup sugar  

2 beaten eggs 

1 cup light molasses 

4 cups flour 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon soda 

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 teaspoon ginger 

3/4 cup cold, strong coffee 

• Thoroly cream shortening and sugar
• Add eggs and molasses; beat well. 
• Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with coffee. 
• Drop from teaspoon onto greased cooky sheet. 
• Bake in moderate oven (350°) 15 minutes. 

Better Homes and Gardens Magazine 
March 1940