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!

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

If you're like me and you love chocolate and peanut butter, then there is almost nothing better to cure your cravings than these Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.

Let's get started! Shall we?






Brownie Ingredients:

• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter, margarine, or shortening, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut Butter Swirl Topping:

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy/chunky, I prefer chunky)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with parchment paper, grease the sides of the pan with shortening, so the brownies won't stick. Be sure to leave enough parchment on the two longest sides of the pan, so your will be able to lift the brownies out with the parchment, once they're cooled.

In a small bowl, blend flour and cocoa powder, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until smooth, add eggs, beat until blended, then stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Slowly stir flour mixture into butter mixture, just until blended. You don't want to over-stir, or your brownies will be more like cake.

Pour the batter into your parchment-lined 9 x 13 baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix all of your peanut butter swirl ingredients together, and spoon blobs of it on top of your brownie batter. Run a knife back and forth through the batter repeatedly, until you have a nice swirl pattern.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out slightly damp, but without raw batter on it. Let the brownies cool for about 20-30 minutes, then lift them out of the pan, and cut them into squares.

Makes about 16-20 brownies, depending on how you cut them. Enjoy!