Fabulous Friday Food - Molasses Cookies

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

My kitchen is filled with the scents of cinnamon and ginger and cloves because today I baked my first batch of Christmas cookies! (Everybody cheer!)

If my family is lucky, it won't be the last. But if my calendar keeps filling up the way it has been, this very well could be the last batch.

(December is already kicking my behind and it's only the 3rd.)

Anyway, the first batch of Christmas cookies is always very exciting for everyone around here and is usually this very cookie because everyone loves them. Even Thunder kept sniffing around the kitchen hoping for a crumb or two.

I got this recipe probably over 20 years ago from my friend, Angie, when we worked together. I've tweaked the recipe just a little to suit my tastes, but it's still Angie's recipe.

And so, without further adieu, I give you . . . Molasses Cookies.

First, cream together one stick of butter flavored Crisco with one stick of room-temperature butter.

It should be really creamy, like this:

Next add 2 cups of sugar and beat this mixture really well. Same after the eggs. I have found that my cookies turn out best when I beat the batter like crazy, making it really fluffy and light.

O.K., so . . . to speed things along here . . . add some more stuff like, well, molasses would be good, and maybe some dry ingredients, until you have cookie dough that looks something like this.

Here's when you want to call your kids to come help you. Take a tablespoon or so of dough and roll it into a ball. Then roll the ball into some white sugar.

Line 'em up! (Are you as careful as I am about lining up your cookies? Or do you just throw them anywhere on the cookie sheet?)

O.K., I don't know what happened, but I didn't get a picture of the finished product on the cookie sheet. But here's what you have to know about baking these cookies. DON'T OVERBAKE THEM!!! Please. For all that is good and right and true in this world, do not overbake these cookies. I found that if I baked two pans for 7 minutes, and then switched the pans and baked them for 2 more minutes, they came out perfect. Your oven temperature may vary, so just watch them.

What I DID take a picture of is this cute Christmas plate that I've probably had for more than 20 years. My youngest sister, Jodi, gave it to me when I was first married. Isn't that sweet? I still love it.

Anyway, pile up the molasses cookies on a pretty plate.

It won't take long for them to be devoured.

Molasses Cookies

1 Cup butter flavored Crisco

1/2 Cup room-temperature butter

2 Cups sugar

1/2 Cup molasses

2 eggs

4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

4 Cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix Crisco and butter together until fluffy. Add sugar and beat well. Add molasses and eggs. Add dry ingredients.

3. Roll one full teaspoon of dough into balls and then roll in white sugar.

4. Place balls on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

5. DON'T OVERBAKE!

So tell me . . . have you baked any Christmas cookies yet? What's your favorite?