Christmas Baking

I've spent some time doing my usual Christmas baking. One of my family's favourites starts being baked in the fall and continues throughout the winter as well. They are formally called Molasses Sugar Cookies.

Here they are laid out on baking racks to cool. The recipe that I will include makes this amount (a little less than 2 dozen depending on the size).

They are never-fail, easy to make cookies which are nice and crinkly on top and moist on the inside. I take them to the staff room for special occasions and have brought them to family Thanksgivings.

Here is the recipe:
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
additional sugar for rolling the cookie balls in

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and molasses together. Add the egg and mix well. I do not bother to pre-mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger and mix well. Use a teaspoon or scant tablespoon as a scooping guide, roll small ball of cookie dough in your hands, then roll in a small bowl of white sugar. Place on cookie sheet (I use parchment paper as well) in ball form. They do not need pressing down. Bake at 375 for aprx. 7-9 minutes.



In addition, I also made:


Sugar cookies which got decorated later...



These are peanut butter rice crispie squares. Enough corn syrup and peanut butter to choke a horse!

I also made the chocolate clusters made from chocolate chips, peanuts, butterscotch chips, and chowmein noodles.

Good thing not everyone is stressed over holiday baking!

Oops, he's a bit blurry! (and furry)