Holiday Baking - Ginger Molasses Cookie Recipe

I love to bake and I love trying new recipes.  Holiday baking is always extra fun for me as there are so many opportunities to share the goodies with family and friends and to use the items as lovely homemade gifts.

My mom made these ginger molasses cookies when we were growing up and I started making them myself when I had moved out on my own.  I make these cookies all year round but they certainly have a holiday taste to them and are perfect for a Christmas get together.  These are a great recipe for cooking with kids as they love rolling the dough in the sugar before baking.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup white sugar to roll the dough in

Follow these easy steps:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the 1/4 cup sugar.

Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.  These cookies freeze really well and as my husband will tell you, they are even quite delicious frozen!

Some of my other favourite holiday treats are White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies, Caramel Overload Bars, and Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Poached Pears.

Holiday Baking: White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondie Recipe

This white chocolate gingerbread blondie recipe won the right to be the selected recipe for both of the cookie exchanges I am participating in this year.  One with the momstown Oakville moms and one with my university girlfriends - looking forward to a stocked freezer!  Gingerbread is an integral holiday flavour and the white chocolate dresses it up a bit.  This square is delicious with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.  Add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of dark chocolate and its fancy enough to serve for dessert.  The recipe makes 4 dozen.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondie Dough

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups plus 1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 packed brown sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar

2 large eggs and one egg yolk

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1/3 molasses

1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate or white chocolate chips

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet (12 X 17 inch) with foil and then spray it with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and spices.

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs and yolk, one at a time.  Add vanilla and molasses and mix until combined.  Add the dry ingredients mixture slowly and mix until combined then stir in the white chocolate.

Spread batter evenly into the pan.  I found the best way to do this is with damp hands and then use a butter knife to smooth it out.  Bake until golden on the edges, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool in the pan completely before cutting.

Holiday Baking: Caramel Overload Bars Recipe

I love caramel!  These bars are to die for and the recipe is pretty easy to make.  You can also substitute whatever caramel chocolate bar you want so this can become a nut free recipe.  I make these with milk chocolate bars with caramel inside as my son has a nut allergy.

Ingredients

3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 (2.07-oz.) chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat bars, chopped
1 (14-oz.) can dulce de leche*


Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir well. Combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, stirring just until blended. Fold in chopped candy bars.

Spoon batter into a greased aluminum foil-lined 13" x 9" pan coated with cooking spray, allowing foil to extend over ends of pan. (Pan will be very full.) Spoon dollops of dulce de leche over batter; swirl slightly into batter with a knife.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes. Remove to a wire rack, and cool completely. (This may take several hours.) Use foil to lift uncut brownies out of pan. Peel foil away from sides of uncut brownies, and cut into bars.