Molasses Crinkle Cookies

Sometimes when I get a craving for baking something sweet, I make a batch of cookies to take to the library when I volunteer.  I bought some molasses over the Christmas break, and decided to make some cookies using it as an ingredient.  I looked through my mom's old Betty Crocker Cooky Book, and found a recipe for Molasses Crinkles.

These were popular cookies in the 1930's, and molasses was the chief sweetener in American homes in the 1700's-1800's.  

I followed the recipe, except for putting drops of water on the cookies.  I read online reviews that it really wasn't necessary.  These would make the perfect cookie to go with a cup of coffee or tea.

I think that is my childhood writing on the recipe!

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

sugar

1.  Mix shortening, sugar, egg and molasses.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Chill.

2.  Heat oven to 375.  Roll dough into 1 1/4" balls.  (I used a cookie scoop and then rolled just a little bit.) Roll cookie in sugar to coat.  Place on parchment paper on baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen cookies

 

Blondies

This recipe from my favorite basic cookbook - Better Homes and Garden - is a great way to pull together a sweet treat with items you have on hand.  Basic ingredients like brown sugar, eggs, and butter make it an easy option.  The photo above is from the cookbook, and the one at the end of the post is my less-than-perfect blondie.  We loved these, and I can't wait to make them again sometime soon!

4 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/3 cups butter

4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

4 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 13x9 pan with greased foil or parchment paper.

2.  In a large saucepan, cook and stir brown sugar and butter over medium heat about 6 minutes or until melted and smooth.  Cool 10 minutes.

3.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Stir eggs and vanilla into cooled brown sugar mixture.  Stir in flour mixture.  Spread in prepared pan.

4.  Bake 45 minutes.  Cool completely.  Use foil or parchment paper to lift blondies out of pan. Cut into bars.

- I cut the recipe in half and made in a 8"x8" square pan.

- Optional toppings before baking: 

• 3/4 cup chopped nuts
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Magnolia Silo Cookies

This is a winning cookie recipe from the second Magnolia cookbook - oatmeal, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and nuts make this cookie outstanding. It is the signature cookie sold at the Magnolia Silos in Waco. 

These remind me a little of the chocolate chip cookie from Chick Fil A.  I think they would also be good with butterscotch chips replacing the peanut butter chips.  Give these a try next time you need a crowd-pleasing cookie.

Snickerdoodles

This is an old favorite recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  Snickerdoodles are soft sugar/butter cookies that are coated in cinnamon sugar.  These are so delicious and travel well.  

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 t baking soda

1 t cream of tartar

1/4 t salt

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

3 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 t cinnamon

1.  Beat butter with a mixer for a minute.  Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Beat until combined.  

2.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat until mixed.

3.  Add flour and mix.  Cover and chill dough for an hour.

4.  In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 t cinnamon.

5.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll balls in sugar mixture.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

6.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 375F.   (Makes about 48 cookies.)

Christmas Cookies

After doing A LOT of baking this Christmas season, I decided to put together a post listing some of my favorite holiday cookies.  This is for my own reference so I have a place to find all these recipes!

• Cut Out Sugar Cookies
• Mint Chocolate Delights
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Peanut Blossoms
• Spritz Cookies
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Chocolate Cherry Cookies
• Fudge
• Muddy Buddies
• Buckeye Candies
• Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies II

Have you seen the retro cookbook - Betty Crocker Cooky Book?  I have a copy that my grandmother gave my mom in 1965, complete with a handwritten dedication at the front.  It's such a treasured thing to me!  And when did we start spelling it "cookie" instead of "cooky?"

I pulled this out last week to make some peanut butter cookies, and they were delicious!

Chocolate Chip Bars

I was looking for a twist on chocolate chip cookies, and found this recipe for chocolate chip blondies from one of my favorite cookbooks.  And it is actually based on an Ina Garten recipe that you can find in her Foolproof cookbook or here with a Food Network video.  You can click one the links if you want the printable recipe for a BIG pan of chocolate chip blondies.

I didn't want a 9x13 pan of these delicious treats for just the four of us, so I cut the recipe in half.  Here is my smaller version for an 8x8 pan.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies II

 

How many chocolate chip cookie recipes can we have?  There are certainly A LOT of variations out there.  My favorite is the old standard from the back of the Nestle Toll House chocolate chip bag - you can find it here.  Jack has made the version from the Magnolia Table Cookbook many times, and they're delicious too.  That recipe is in a printable form online here.

I remembered making a recipe for Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies on the back of a Crisco container back in my 20's.  They were a little softer than the Nestle version and very tasty.  When I saw a cookie in the Better Homes and Garden cookbook that had both Crisco and butter, I thought it would be a winner.  The shortening makes it soft and holds its shape, while the butter gives it flavor.  It also has lots of vanilla, which I really like.  Give this a try when you want a twist on the original chocolate chip cookie.

Marshmallow Surprise Cookies

Jack went through one of my cookbooks (Cookies by Martha Stewart) and marked all the recipes he wanted to try.  At the top of the lists was this recipe for Surprise Cookies.  He decided to make them for an end of summer church party, and he had a few friends who decided to help with the baking.  

Molasses Cookies

I picked up a fun little fall cookbook from Gooseberry Patch - Fall Family Recipes - at Sam's Club.  My first recipe I tried was for Molasses Cookies.  I wanted to make a sweet treat that felt like fall, but without a pumpkin flavor.

These were so soft and delicious, definitely a keeper.  You might even have all the ingredients on hand.  I modified the original recipe to add pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon and ginger.  I will include both options here on the blog post.

I hope you give these a try.  This recipe is easy to cut in half, which is exactly what I did.  These would make a great treat for after school or in the lunch box.

Butterscotch Cookies

One of my favorite fall flavors is butterscotch...what about you?  The butterscotch brownies I made last year were such a hit and one of my favorite recipes ever.  When I saw this Butterscotch Cookie recipe on Betty Crocker, I decided to give it a try.

Butterscotch Blondies

I have been taking meals over to my dear friend whose son is at MD Anderson.  Usually I bring brownies or cookies for dessert, but this time I was looking for something a little different.  I picked up a bag of butterscotch chips at the grocery store and found this recipe online at the Nestle website.

These blondies are TO DIE FOR.  If you like butterscotch or caramel flavor, you will absolutely love these chewy bars.  They made a full 9x13 pan and were so easy to make.  You probably have everything in your pantry to make them except for the chips.  So pick up some butterscotch chips on your next grocery trip!  Put them in your pantry, and you'll be ready to make these next time your in the mood for some chewy, tasty blondies.

Cookies 'n' Cream Cookies

I'm always looking for quick recipes, and this one is a real winner.  I found it when I saw this video from Tasty on You Tube - Cake Mix Cookies 9 Ways.  So many yummy options that start with just a cake mix:  Lemon Crinkle, Red Velvet White Chocolate, S'Mores Cookies and more.

If you like Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (Bluebell is the best!), you will absolutely love these cookies.  So easy and so delicious!

Jammy Dodgers

When we lived in England, Jammy Dodgers were a favorite lunchbox treat for Grace and Jack. These are little shortbread cookies with a jam filling.

I still follow the British grocery chain Waitrose on social media, and saw their video about making giant jammy dodgers.  Here's the recipe on their website.

This was such a fun way to surprise the kids with something they loved from our time in England. They were very easy to make, and you probably have all of these ingredients on hand in your pantry.

M & M Cookies

Jack was meeting some friends at the park to play "Nerf Wars" and decided to make some M&M cookies for everyone.  I bought the M&M's and he did the rest.

I thought M&M cookies used the same recipe as chocolate chip cookies, but this one has slightly different proportions of the ingredients.  It produced a chewy, slightly salty dough that was a great compliment to the sweet candies.

Delicious!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 3/4 cup M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.

Sift flour, salt and soda.  Slowly add to butter mixture.  Stir in M&Ms.  Chill for at least an hour.

Drop dough onto lightly greased pan.  (We used parchment paper.)

Bake for 8-10 for chewy cookies or 12-14 minutes for crisp cookies.




Linking to Johannah and Heather

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

I found this old treasure on my bookshelf recently.  It brings back many memories of making cookies with my mom.  Isn't it funny that this Betty Crocker cookbook calls them "Cooky" instead of Cookie?

This book was given to my mother (Mavis Lee) by her mother (my Gram) in 1965.  Fifty years ago...how is that possible?  I love reading the little notes written beside some of the recipes.  Excellent 1972.  Lots of checkmarks.  Good (written by me as a child next to peanut butter cookies.)

The kids really enjoy baking, so I plan to resurrect this cookbook for some retro Betty Crocker "cooky" baking.

Grace suggested the first recipe, some jam bars.  Then ironically, she didn't care for them.  They might be to oatmeal-y for her taste.  However, Jack and I thought they were delicious!

I added a powdered sugar icing drizzle, but they would be just as good without.  Here's the recipe.

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup strawberry jam

Heat oven to 400.  Mix butter and sugar.  Add soda, salt, flour and oats.

Press and flatten half the mixture in a 9x13" pan.  Spread with the jam.  Top with the remaining mixture.  Gently pat down.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Cut into bars while warm and remove from pan.

A few recipe notes:

• I used butter instead of shortening.
• I used a natural fruit jam, like Simply Fruit.
• You could use any flavor of jelly or jam.
• I used parchment paper in my pan for easy removal.
• I found a very similar recipe from the Pioneer Woman here.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Cherry Cookies are an old family tradition for us.  I remember my grandmother and my mother making them at Christmas.  They are a chocolate cake-style cookie with nuts and maraschino cherries covered with a powdered sugar icing.  These cookies really add a pop of color to a holiday cookie tray.  They are also a great cookie for Valentine's Day.  

Since my mom's death, I had wanted to make a batch of these to bring back some memories of her in the kitchen.  Jack helped me make these this week one morning before school.  

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 t salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup flour
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, cut in half

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs.  Add melted chocolate.  Mix in remaining ingredients.

Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375F.  Original recipe says 15 minutes, but mine baked in about 9 minutes.

Make icing using powdered sugar and liquid from jar of cherries.

Linking with: 

Meal Plan Monday 

Tickle My Tastebuds Tuesday  

Full Plate Thursday  

Grace At Home 

Weekend Potluck 

​Foodie Friday 

Friday Frenzy 

Snickerdoodle Sunday

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

These Chocolate Crinkles from Betty Crocker were DELICIOUS!  One of the kids described them as "Bite sized brownies, but even better."  And the other said "These are as good as your chocolate chip cookies."  This recipe is definitely a keeper!

1/2

cup vegetable oil

4

oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled

2

cups granulated sugar

2

teaspoons vanilla

4

eggs

2

cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

2

teaspoons baking powder

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, melted chocolate, sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.

Roll dough into small balls.  Coat in powdered sugar.  Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.  Remove immediately from cooking sheet.

Cut Out Sugar Cookies

I have always been frustrated by the results I get when I try to make cut-out sugar cookies.  Usually, I get big blobby looking cookies that really don't resemble the cookie-cutter I used to make them.  So I haven't made cut-out cookies recently because of these disappointing results.

I decided to go to the expert (Bake at 350) and give her recipe a try.  I wanted to make some pumpkin sugar cookies for the kids to decorate for Halloween.  Her recipe did NOT disappoint!  Now I want to try more shapes and maybe even attempt royal icing and "flooding."

Here's what I mean by keeping their shape.  Here's a photo before baking...

And here's the photo after baking.  They hold their shape so nicely, and stay a nice light tan color.

Bake at 350's Vanilla Sugar Cookie 

3 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder1 c. sugar 2 sticks (salted) butter, cold and cut into chunks1 egg3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract1/2 tsp. pure almond extract (NOTE: I didn't have almond extract, so I just added some extra vanilla. Tasted great.)

Preheat oven to 350.


Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and cold butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.


The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling. (I put about 1/3 of the crumbly dough on a large piece of Saran Wrap and then folded the wrap around it. Then I pressed the dough into a ball, unfolded the wrap, and rolled out with a floured rolling pin.)


Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shapes on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Spritz Cookies

Grace wanted to make a recipe this weekend from her American Girl magazine, and she chose a Spritz cookie.  She was excited to try out our cookie press.  I have probably not used this kitchen device for several years.  Usually I pull it out around Christmas to make some little holiday shaped cookies.

We had a great time baking the cookies.  I operated the cookie press, but she did everything else.  It was a fun afternoon, and the bite-sized cookies are perfect for a lunchbox or after-school snack.

Here's the recipe from American Girl:

2 sticks butter (200g), softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
3 egg yolks
1 t vanilla

Bake at 400F for 7-8 minutes

----------------------------------------

In the past, I have used a recipe similar to this one from Martha Stewart.

3 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 t salt
4 egg yolks
1 t vanilla

Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes.