Molasses Cookies

Today I'm going to share with your one of my most favorite cookie recipes ever. I have memories of baking these cookies with my Grandma, rolling out the dough, choosing the cookie cutters to use. My home just doesn't feel like Christmas until the smell of these baking in the oven fills the air. These cookies have been a part of my Christmas holiday my whole life.

These cookies don't have to be reserved for Christmas, they can be enjoyed all year-round! They're just as fun to do at Halloween too!

This recipe is large enough that you will have many cookies to give to friends and family, but beware, they will come back year after year asking you to make them again!

INGREDIENTS:

7 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
4 tsp. ground ginger
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
4 tsp. ground cloves
2 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. molasses

In a medium bowl, sift together all dry ingredients, set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy, add sugar, beat until well blended. Beat in eggs and molasses. Gradually stir in flour mixture. blend well. You may add up to 1/2 cup more flour of dough is too sticky. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut dough into 4 portions, roll out each portion to about 1/4 inch thickness. Be sure to roll on a floured surface to avoid sticking. Use any cookie cutters of your choice. Place cookies on cookie sheets lined with parchment about 1-2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 10-12 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Let cookies cool completely before frosting them.

ICING:

Frosting these cookies will take 3-4 pounds of powdered sugar. I usually make 4-5 colors of frosting for these cookies. This recipe is for 1 colored batch of frosting. You will need to make several batches to frost all the cookies in the recipe.

2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
food coloring
water

Mix all ingredients together. How much food coloring you use is entirely up to you, depending on the color you're going for. As for the water, just mix in about 1 Tbsp to start, and add a few drops at a time until your frosting is desired thickness. This frosting dries pretty firm no matter how tick or thin you make it.

Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for about two or three weeks, but they probably won't last that long anyway!

PHOTO COMING SOON!

Homemade Milk Bones (wheat-free)

Today I'm going to show you how to make some milk bones for your pampered pooch.

I started making homemade dog treats when I discovered that my German Shepherd "Etta Velvet" was allergic to wheat. She gets big hives all over her face and head when she eats any amount of wheat.

Wheat-free dog treats are not always easy to find, and when you do find them, they can be pretty expensive.

I have many recipes for wheat-free dog treats to share with you, but I'll start off with the easiest, most inexpensive recipe first.

If your dog doesn't have a wheat sensitivity, you don't have to use any special flour, 4 cups of whole wheat flour will do just fine. If you plan to use whole wheat flour, you do not have to add the baking powder.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4tsp baking powder
• 2 cups oat flour
• 2 cups rice flour
• 1/4 cup corn starch

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

In large bowl pour hot water over the butter. Stir in powdered milk, salt, and egg. Add flour, one cup at a time. Knead for a few minutes to form stiff dough. If dough is too sticky, sprinkle with corn starch while kneading. Sprinkle some corn starch on the counter top as well. Pat or roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into bone shapes, or whatever shape you desire. Bake for 50 minutes for wheat flour, 60-65 minutes for oat/rice flour. Let cool. They will dry out quite hard. 

You can store them in an air-tight jar or can for about two weeks, but your dog will probably gobble them up before that. 

Note: The oat/rice flour biscuits will be a bit more fragile than wheat biscuits, they tend to crumble a bit, so it's best to make smaller cookies.