Big Molasses Ginger Cookies

[boxofdelights]

From Elinor Klivans's 125 Cookies, a book which has made my family very happy.

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) cold vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cold large egg
1/4 cup molasses

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or heavy aluminum foil.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger together and set aside.

3. Put the vegetable shortening and 1 cup of the sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed for about 1 minute, until smooth. Add the egg and molasses and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds until blended thoroughly. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl during this time. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until all the flour is incorporated and the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. For each cookie, roll 2 tablespoons of dough between the palms of your hands into a 1 1/2-inch ball; about the size of a Ping-Pong ball. Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat. Place the cookie balls about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

4. Bake 1 baking sheet at a time about 17 minutes, reversing it after 8 minutes. The cookies will flatten toward the end of their baking time, and their tops will have cracks when they are done. Bake the second pan of cookies. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.


(I'm sure I've posted this before, but I never did go back and tag things, so I couldn't find it when randomdreams asked. The last time I made these was when my next-door neighbor had a baby, and that baby is one and a half now. Definitely cookie time.)

Comments

[amaebi]

Now I want to make these. Probably today. Though Chun Woo's sick and probably can't eat any.

[laughingrat]

Those sound really nice! Have you ever made them with butter, by any chance? I ask because hey, if I can find out in advance that they aren't good that way, I don't want to waste my butter. ;)

[boxofdelights]

I haven't tried. Klivans says that the excellent texture of these cookies depends on the vegetable shortening. From reading the book and trying more than half the recipes, I trust her to have tested that thoroughly. But if you try it, and it turns out well, it would make me very happy!

[laughingrat]

Sounds reasonable--it does have a very different texture. Do you use butter flavored shortening, or plain Crisco, or what?

[boxofdelights]

I've always used plain Crisco. I haven't noticed a difference in texture since Crisco got reformulated to reduce trans fats.

I have to say, reading about what Crisco replaced those trans fats with makes me more interested in experimenting with butter.

[amaebi]

Well, that hasn't happened yet. But it WILL!