New Year... New Blog

So, welcome to 2015 and my new blog.  I'm fully aware (as I view lots of them), that there are many, many similar blogs... Recipes, crafts, homey stuff, etc.  This is just my little corner of the Internet where I plan to share what  make, what I bake, and what I grow - along with anything else that is a part of my life I want to share. And, I'd like to offer the disclaimer that while I know my way around a sewing machine, kitchen, and garden, I'm rather new and clumsy at blogging.  

To kick off my year, I wanted to bake something delicious.  So, after consulting with  my favorite taste-testers (neighbors), the molasses-ginger cookie won the contest.  As my best (messy 5-yr-old) helper was deeply involved in this process today, there are no pictures of the process, but it is a straight-forward cookie dough sort of thing.  The result is a soft, rich cookie with a deep molasses and heavily spiced flavor that is perfect with a cup of tea on this cold Indiana New Year's Day.  

So, happiest of New Years to you and yours.  Here's to hoping the year is filled with more smiles than tears, more laughter than grumbles, and more joy and sorrow.  And, treats, sunshine, and hugs.  Can't forget those.

Molasses-Ginger Cookies

2-1/4 to 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. (6 oz.) butter, softened (or shortening)
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses
3 T. sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine most of dry ingredients first - don't fudge on this step or your spices won't mix in evenly throughout: flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter by hand or with a mixer until creamy and slightly fluffy.  Add sugar and mix until it is fluffy again.  Add egg and molasses, and then mix well.  Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the the wet.  The mixture will be sticky, but not too wet.  If it is too wet, add a few T. of flour at a time until it is stiff enough to make into small, walnut-sized balls.

Put 3 T. of sugar in a bowl and begin rolling the dough into balls (walnut-sized), then roll the balls in the sugar and place them on an ungreased baking sheet about 2" apart.

Bake for 10 minutes - cookies will spread into lovely little rounds and puff up.  When they are puffed and appear dry on top, remove them.  Cool them on the baking sheet for at least 2 minutes before removing them to cool.  Do NOT over bake them... if they start to lose their puffiness, take them out right away!

You end up with about 24 cookies, give or take.