Molasses sugar cookies

This is another cookie I remember enjoying as a child. Grandma had her repertoire, because there was a dessert every night after "supper", which always consisted of a meat, potato, vegetable, and yeast rolls. Sometimes it was strawberries or peaches and vanilla ice cream, oatmeal cake, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, blueberry or blackberry pie, and one of my lesser favorites--strawberry rhubarb pie. As a kid, I just couldn't fully appreciate that.

The molasses sugar cookie is perfect for Santa, because it can be made ahead instead of scrambling around Christmas Eve to try to make cookies at 10PM before he comes down the chimney. These freeze well, or you can make the dough a few days before Christmas, then get the kids involved in rolling the dough balls in sugar and baking them. And of course, a little bit of quality control--trying them out to make sure they're in tip top shape.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Ingredients:

¾ cup Crisco

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

Sugar

Directions

1. Cream shortening; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

2. Add egg and molasses, mix well.

3. In separate bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and spices; mix well.

4. Add the dry Ingredients In several batches to creamed ,mixture, mixing until smooth after each addition.

5. Chill dough at least 1 hour, up to several days

6. Shape dough Into 1-inch balls, and roll In sugar. Place 2 Inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Tops will crack. Cool on wire racks.

 Makes about 4 dozen