My mom’s cousin from Texas commented on my recent use of molasses: “A staple in every Hoosier’s kitchen!” On that note, I hereby declare a week of molasses recipe-sharing at cozywalls.com. These cookies come by way of my Great-Grandmother’s Sister-in-Law, Aunt Velma. Though I never knew her, I cannot mistake the smell of these cookies baking in the oven: the combination of cloves and molasses warms the soul.
When I was little, my mom would let me roll the dough balls in a bowl of sugar before placing them on the cookie sheet. For this batch I used some pretty big sparkle sugar, and the added crunch and shimmer was a delightful result (don’t be fooled by the crunch though, these cookies are also soft-middled). Usually paired with a glass of milk or mug of tea, this week at the store there was a bargain on black cherry gelato. Together with that blackstrap molasses cookie, the gelato was transformed into a black forest trifle of molasses sorts. I like to think of it as Blackstrap Forest.
Aunt Velma’s Molasses Cookies
Preheat Oven to 375-degrees
Mix together:
3/4 cups shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
about 2 cups flour
Roll in balls “the size of walnuts” and dip in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Love this post, fantastic photos. (the doily shot is my fave) and l-o-v-e the big sparkle sugar!
thanks, BB – those grease proof doilies are handy and pretty between cookies!
yum! I love Talenti Gelato!
favorite flavor?
a toss up between Blood Orange & Carribean Coconut, you?
I need to taste those! I like Double Dark Chocolate & Mediterranean Mint quite a bit…
mm sounds goood! Ill have to try those out! lovely photos btw; do you use a macro lens?
no macro lens, just the kit lens that came with the camera… Canon T1i.
great work then!
Wow….I mean really wow. Love those cookies and I adore Talgetti Gelato. The strawberry makes me swoon.
me too, Chef Connie. I am always ready to taste a new flavor variety!
I made those last week Amy!
of course you did
Great pics and more molasses…we can’t keep up, but we will be making these, too..
Fantastic photos, very artistic! I really enjoy the one looking inside the bowl!
That looks absolutely divine!
so much yumminess. I called it a trifle rather than an ice cream sandwich, because I ended up using a spoon to finish the dish
This is really pretty! I need to get myself some sparkle sugar now, thanks for the temptation! <3
sparkle sugar is always a good decision
About the best comfort food ever – to the eye and the taste!
P.S. The plates under the ice cream sandwich belonged to Amy’s great-grandma on the other side of the family, handed down from her great-grandmother, ca 1824.
thanks for the important note, Mom. I love those rosy-hued dishes.
Wow, these are absolutely gorgeous!
Do you use actual blackstrap molasses or medium or mild molasses in the recipe? You mentioned blackstrap in your post, so I was just curious.
Yes, I use blackstrap. Lighter molasses works well too if you prefer.
Ohhh, I love Talenti! My favorite flavor is Salted Caramel and their sweet reusable containers. These look super yummy.
Salted Caramel = on my list! And excellent point – those little containers are fun to reuse.
I love this opportunity to use cloves! The smell of cloves always bring me back to the 1980′s, cooking with my mom! Thank you, Amy!
Oh, I just ate a couple of these delicious cookies courtesy of your wonderful mother. She is so, so thoughtful! Bob, my hubby, loved them too! He compared them to his all-time favorite molasses cookies that his grandma used to make. Thanks for sharing! By the way, I’m loving your blog!!
Courtney, I am so glad you both enjoyed them
My Uncle Steve used to send me batches when I was at IU. I looove molasses cookies. I am going to get some big sparkle sugar to use it looks so cool! We always had Brear Rabbit molasses.
that’s the kind we used to get too! I am sure that is why I always think of that story with the Tar Baby when I start to pour the molasses in the measuring cup.
Such a great flavour combination!
I love it… and now I will be thinking of how to incorporate that combo elsewhere.
*Adds to my to-do list for this weekend, lol.
I love the addition of back cherry gelato in the middle. How delightful!
Black cherry*
hope you have a great weekend.
These cookies are so pretty. Cherry desserts are my husband’s favorite, so I know this dish would be a beg hit at our house
I love cherries too! I hope you enjoy the cookie recipe. I was looking at them the other day thinking, it’s like Christmas in May.
I love the flavor of blackstrap molasses. I used to make black strap molasses tea when I lived in colder climates like Chicago. Your photos are gorgeous!
sounds delicious and comforting – especially during those giant snowfalls!
These photos are drool-worthy. Must try this recipe soon – thanks for sharing it!
drool-worthy: I like that seal of approval! you are welcome – hope you enjoy the recipe.
And worth mentioning — the sugar-covered dough balls are irresistable to eat before baking!
worthy mention.
Just successfully made these cookies for a Mother’s Day brunch at my parents’ house! It is the perfect level of sweetness, which makes it a terrific pairing with (I’m assuming) just about any type of ice-cream or gelato. We had a choice of either cappucino or chocolate hazelnut gelato this afternoon. Both tasted wonderfully with the cookies! All thanks to you, Amy! And your Aunt Velma, of course!
Jessica, that’s super news! I am going to have to make some more, just to go along with cappuccino gelato – that sounds gooood. I hope that you will enjoy the recipe for years to come
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