Flashback Friday: Grandma's Molasses Cookies

Flashback Friday: Revisiting a recipe from long ago

Yesterday marked my grandma's 80th birthday.  We are celebrating this weekend with dinner out at her favorite restaurant followed by an open house at her assisted living complex.  My mom and I baked up 3 of her favorite types of cookies for the party.  For the sugar cookies I went with our traditional family favorite.  Her next request was a plain oatmeal cookie, no raisins.  (I kind of spilled some chocolate chips in a few batches though.)  In search of a tried and true oatmeal base I tested out 4 different recipes.  I haven't decided yet if I'll hash out the results here or just give you the winner.  Today we'll just munch on molasses cookies.

Many grandmas bake cookie for their grandchildren.  Since I love to bake so much it was often I who baked the cookies for my grandma.  Her third birthday cookie is the molasses cookie recipe she always asked me to bring her.  She would send me home with a jar of molasses from her basement shelves and I would return with a plate of cookies.

Soft and chewy with perfectly crackled tops, these quickly became my brother's favorite too.  A double batch was in order if any cookies were to make it back out to grandma's house.  Though I already have multiple molasses cookie recipes posted here, I've yet to post this one.  No ginger is needed here, this simply spiced cookie only calls for cinnamon and nutmeg.  Happy 80th Birthday, Grandma!

 Molasses Cookies
recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup granulated sugar (plus about 1/4 cup more for rolling)
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt

Instructions:
* In a large bowl cream together shortening and 1 cup sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses, milk and vanilla; beat until well combined. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  Gradually stir into wet mixture until combined.  Cover and chill 1-2 hours or overnight.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F; grease baking sheets.  Scoop or roll dough into 1-1/4 inch balls.  Roll in granulated sugar and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake 8-11 minutes or just until tops have cracked and edges are set.  Let cool on sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire cooling racks.

Food for Thought: "The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face.  Frown at it, and it in turn will look sourly upon you; laugh at it and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion." -William Makepeace Thackeray (as found in one of my grandma's cookbooks)