Grandma Shreder's Molasses Cookies

 I think the story behind these cookies are just as sweet as the cookies themselves. Not to give too much away (what, you haven't purchased this cookbook yet?!), but the family gave a handwritten copy of this recipe to all attendees at her funeral, with a picture of Grandma Shreder at age 18.

I've already shared in "Nana Louise's Molasses Cookies" how I have made all three molasses cookie recipes in this cookbook, to compare them, so you can go read that blog. This cookie requires chilling the dough, preferably overnight. I didn't have overnight, so I chilled it for an hour (Grandma's handwritten instructions say that an hour will do). It comes out of the oven a little puffy and very cake-like. I guess I was hoping for the crinkly-topped soft, moist flat cookie that Nana Louise makes. But the combination of a great deal of flour and shortening and molasses makes it a much heavier and drier cookie. Which a lot of people like, and given a busy day, I can see someone home from school or work sitting down with a cold glass of milk and a couple of Grandma's cookies, to unwind. I enjoyed having this recipe in my "molasses cookie bake-off." In the picture, Grandma Shreder's cookies are on the plate in the foreground. And the "cookie furkin" belonged to my Grandma Bailey, who also loved to bake molasses cookies for her grandchildren!






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