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SUGAR & STILETTOS RECIPES
Nanci Christopher
February 17, 2010

GINGER COOKIES
From Edna Lewis’
THE TASTE OF COUNTRY COOKING

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder*
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
½ teaspoon powdered cloves
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 2/3 firmly packed cups dark-brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
½ cup Barbados or sorghum molasses*

MAKES 3 DOZEN OR MORE COOKIES

PLACE THE FLOUR in the sifter and add in the leavenings, salt, and spices. Sift this onto a sheet of wax paper and set aside until needed.

PLACE THE BUTTER in a mixing bowl and work with a wooden spoon until the butter becomes shiny. ADD in the sugar and blend well. ADD in beaten egg, continuing to stir. ADD the flour mixture gradually, mixing well.

ADD the molasses, stir and spoon the dough onto a shallow dish.

COVER with wax paper and set in the refrigerator overnight, or set into freezer compartment until dough is stiff enough to roll, about 20 minutes.

REMOVE DOUGH from freezer, cut off a portion and set the rest back into the refrigerator.

LIGHTLY DUST a rolling surface with flour and roll the dough away from you, shifting t he dough to see that it doesn’t stick. ROLL out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. PRESS out with a cookie cutter of your favorite design. PICK each cookie up with a thin pancake turner and place it on a buttered cookie sheet.

BAKE at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

REMOVE FROM OVEN and leave to rest on cookies sheet to cool for 3-4 minutes; otherwise the cookies will be too soft to handle. LIFT from the sheet and place them on a wire rack to cool. STORE in a clean, dry, well-covered tin.

*NOTE: Ms. Lewis’ favorite Royal Baking Powder is no longer made and I didn’t have Barbados or sorghum molasses. I used supermarket baking powder (Clabber Girls) and dark molasses (Grandma’s) and both worked just fine.

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