Here it is — my best Christmas cooky recipe. (I prefer to spell cooky with a -y rather than an -ie. Hope you don’t mind!). I’m calling this my best because it will make your house smell like Christmas, and the cookies are magic. They come out perfect every time — well, as long as you follow the instructions to a “T!” 🙂 They aren’t super easy (no cake mixes!) — you have to sift the flour with the cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. But even that smells like Christmas.
The recipe came to me several years ago via my best friend’s boss. I’m pretty sure she was Mrs. Claus in disguise. Enjoy!
Winter’s Best Gingersnaps
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup Crisco
2 3/4 cups granulated sugar, divided (2 c. for dough; 3/4 c. to roll in)
2 eggs
1/2 cup light molasses
4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Using an electric mixer (I use Big Red, the KitchenAid standing mixer; it basically bakes the cookies for you.), work butter and shortening until creamy.
Gradually work in 2 cups sugar. Continue creaming until light. Beat in eggs and molasses thoroughly.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Gradually beat flour mixture into creamed mixture. Beat hard. Mixture will be soft. Can chill dough for about an hour for easier handling.
Roll pieces of dough the size of a walnut (Why do old recipes always say this? Were they written from walnut farms? I really don’t know how big a walnut in the shell is. I either roll 1-inch or 2-inch balls depending on how big I want the cookies to be.) Roll balls in remaining 3/4 c. sugar. Place balls on greased cooky sheet (I used parchment paper; came off beautifully!), approximately 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven about 10 minutes or until brown.
Store in airtight tins or freeze.
Yield: 5 1/2 to 6 dozen cookies. Great for cookie exchanges.
the spoon and the thimble 