If you could wrap up Christmas and put it in a cookie, what would it taste like? I’m thinking Christmas is bits of snow flake crystals, a cinnamon candle, a hint of cloves from a pumpkin pie, the sweet touch of molasses, and of course my grandma. When I think of Christmas cookies my favorite are hands down, Sugar and Spice Cookies!
Walk Down Memory Lane
Did you grow up eating old-fashioned Gingersnaps? I did and loved them, minus the hardness. But dunking them in milk solved the problem! When visiting my grandma we would snack on Gingersnaps. I remember eating them in the lunches my mom packed for me and now my kids eat them when visiting their grandma. There is something about the taste, sweet with a little spice, that can take me back to the good old days of my childhood. And with the cinnamon, Gingersnaps always remind me of Christmas! They are like gingerbread boys, but better!
Soft, Aromatic, and Mouth-Watering
As I am a soft cookie fanatic, and am in love with baking cookies, I have found the perfect solution to the hardness problem of Gingersnaps.The solution is the recipe for Sugar and Spice Cookies that came from my sister’s friend. These little gems taste like Gingersnaps but are oh so, so soft. They smell divine with baked molasses and cloves and could be your Christmas potpourri for the day, or entire season. The best part of Sugar and Spice Cookies are that they are slightly crispy on the outside with little magical sugar specs giving you the perfect Gingersnap feel, but the inside will melt in your mouth. My mouth is watering right now! I really can’t say enough good about the taste of these gems.
Sugar and Spice Cookies are Simple
The recipe is very, very simple with your basic cookie ingredients and instructions. The only unusual ingredient is molasses which you can find in your local grocery store in the baking aisle by the sugars. After rolling the dough into balls, roll in sugar, smash the cookie to half the height, and bake for only 8-10 minutes depending upon the size of the balls. I prefer small cookies and thus cook mine for only 8 minutes in my oven. The trick is that even thought the cookie doesn’t look completely cooked (it will have cracks on top), you will remove the pan from the oven but leave the cookies on the hot pan for an additional minute. Then and finally then, remove and cool the cookies on a wire rack. Don’t skip this step!
And just like that, sugary and spicy Gingersnap flavored cookies are yours. Just be prepared that they won’t last long! Really, these are my favorite! Merry Christmas in a cookie, with Sugar and Spice, from me!
- 1 1/2 cup shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 tsp soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp cloves
- 1 1/2 tsp ginger
- 4 cups flour
- Cream together shortening and sugar.
- Add eggs and molasses and mix.
- Add soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger and mix.
- Add flour and mix.
- Roll dough into balls, about 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls.
- Roll dough into sugar.
- Slightly smash dough to 3/4 of original height.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
- Cookies will have slight cracks on top but will not look completely cooked.
- Remove from oven but leave on hot cookie sheet for 1 additional minute.
- Carefully remove from sheet and cool on wire rack.
