Today would have been my mother's 90th birthday. Oh how we miss her. I wanted to bake something deliciously old fashioned in honor of her on this day.
My sister will be coming over later for a belated birthday celebration in my sister's honor, so I thought I would bake some cookies that would help to inject my mother's presence into some of the festivities.
I didn't just want any old cookie either. I wanted big soft molasses cookies, just like the old fashioned soft molasses cookies my grandmother would bake for me when I was little.
Mom made the best molasses cookies, using a recipe which had been my grandmother's recipe. The original recipe was for a rolled out cookie. You can find that one here.
This version I am sharing today is a drop cookie, and is a lot easier than the rolled out version. You simply mix everything in a bowl and then drop onto the baking sheets in mounds.
It is a soft and delicious cookie. The use of sour cream helps to make them really moist. You can enjoy them plain or you can enjoy them frosted. It is up to you!
This old fashioned recipe comes from the days when people didn't write their recipes down, or if they did, they didn't write instructions. Most recipes were simply a list of ingredients. They took it for granted that people would know what to do.
Some of those old recipes might not even give you the full measure of the ingredients either. They will say add enough flour to give you a stiff dough, etc.
That doesn't mean that they are not great recipes (most of them are excellent). It just means you really need to know your apples from your oranges if you are going to use them!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE GRANDMOTHER'S SOFT MOLASSES COOKIES
Grandmother never used anything out of the ordinary. Everything she cooked was made from wholesome simple, common, ordinary ingredients. A lot of them were produced right on their farm.
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (90.5g) dairy sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (110g) solid white shortening (Crisco or Trex in the UK)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) molasses
- 1 large free range egg
- 3 cups (420g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
The sour cream in these makes them lovely and soft and moist. You could also use plain yogurt in the place of the sour cream.
Do not be tempted to use all butter instead of the mix of butter and shortening. If you use all butter they will spread out and be flat. The shortening is what keeps them light and fluffy.
I know that in the UK, molasses can be hard to come by. You can use an equal amount of dark treacle and golden syrup mixed together, half and half. It works and tastes the same.
Dark treacle on its own has far too strong a flavor.
HOW TO MAKE GRANDMOTHER'S SOFT MOLASSES DROP COOKIES
You can use a wooden spoon (grandmother's way), an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to make these.
Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready several large baking sheets. No need to butter.Beat the sugar, sour cream, butter, shortening, molasses and egg together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed. (Or use a spoon.)
Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients, combining well.Drop by heaped TBS onto the cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until set. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then scoop off onto wire cooking racks to cool completely.
If desired you can frost these with your favorite vanilla butter cream icing. If freezing do not frost before freezing. Store in an airtight container.
To make a simple buttercream icing, beat together 1/3 cup (80g) soft butter with 1 cup of icing sugar, a pinch of salt and a few drops of vanilla. Beat only until light and fluffy and smooth.This would make enough to frost about half these cookies.
Whilst these cookies freeze really well, you don't want to frost them before freezing. To freeze place into an airtight container with pieces of wax paper between the layers.
They stay lovely and soft for a few days, if stores in an airtight container and go beautifully with glasses of ice cold milk or hot cups of tea.
You can dress them up by adding/stirring in raisins, or currants, or chopped bits of candied ginger. Milk chocolate chips are also nice in these.
I usually just keep them plain however because that is the way we enjoy them most of all.
I had been hoping to see some of my grandsons this week coming up, but their dad is sick now with a really bad cold and they have put their travel plans on hold. Thank goodness it is not Covid, but knowing the way these things go, it will probably make its way through their whole family.
I hope he is feeling much better soon.
I thought the boys would enjoy these cookies, but never mind. They can enjoy them another time! That's the beauty of being able to freeze things like this!
Some other Grammy types of treats on the blog are:
CINNAMON, PRUNE & TOASTED WALNUT COOKIES - The simple batter for these is composed of a mix of butter and cream cheese beaten together with soft light brown sugar. Nice and creamy. A large egg is beaten into that mix, and then a mixture of self raising flour, salt and wheat germ . . . for a bit of goodness . . . and plenty of cinnamon. Diced prunes and toasted walnuts add to the goodness of these lovely cookies. COCONUT LIME OATMEAL COOKIES -I can honestly say that I have never met an oatmeal cookie that I did not fall in love with. Crisp oatmeal cookies. Soft oatmeal cookies. It makes no difference. I love them all. This delicious version is a cross between the two, with crisp buttery edges, and a soft chewy middle. Made even more so from the use of brown sugar.SOFT AND CHEWY JAM AND SUGAR COOKIES - Lovely soft and chewy sugar cookies with your favorite jam center. I have used raspberry but any jam will do, or even a mix of jams! Quick, easy and delicious with no need for rolling out or refrigerating the dough ahead of time.
Soft Molasses Drop Cookies
Yield: 4 dozenAuthor: Marie RaynerPrep time: 10 MinCook time: 11 MinTotal time: 21 MinMy grandmother's delicious drop molasses cookies. You can frost them with a simple vanilla buttercream icing if you wish, but they are pretty darned good just as they are. These freeze beautifully unfrosted. They are wonderful with a hot cuppa or a tall glass of cold milk.Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (90.5g) dairy sour cream
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (110g) solid white shortening (Crisco or Trex in the UK)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) molasses
- 1 large free range egg
- 3 cups (420g) plain all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 4. Have ready several large baking sheets. No need to butter.
- Beat the sugar, sour cream, butter, shortening, molasses and egg together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed. (Or use a spoon.)
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed ingredients, combining well.
- Drop by heaped TBS onto the cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until set. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then scoop off onto wire cooking racks to cool completely.
Notes
If desired you can frost these with your favorite vanilla butter cream icing. If freezing do not frost before freezing. Store in an airtight container.
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