Big Grandma's Cookbook: Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies
02/04/2015
Big Grandma didn't always make Hungarian foods. She was actually quite adventurous in her cooking style and would try just about anything. Most of the time, we enjoyed whatever she was making. But I wouldn't be truthful if I said we liked everything.
I can remember a time when Big Grandma made us some pumpkin soup during a visit. Now, I love pumpkin soup. But not that time. I don't know what was in it, but I can still taste it 30 years later. Every time I think of that soup, it makes me chuckle a bit because even though it wasn't a favorite, it makes me think of my grandma.
If I can get sentimental for a minute, I'd like to share something...
My grandma was a very proper woman. She is the one who taught us how to set a table the right way, how to keep a smooth complexion by never washing your face with soap, how to sit with your legs properly crossed at the ankles during tea...all that. Up until we were all older, I didn't really know my grandma any other way. So when something came up like the pumpkin soup incident - where she made something that wasn't perfect - it made me feel closer to her. She normally didn't DO anything that wasn't perfect. It helped me to realize she was a normal human being.
Back to recipes. This recipe also reminds me of Big Grandma for the same reason the pumpkin soup did, except it is delicious (unlike that soup). It's not one that I would have expected from Big Grandma's cookbook and seems to be a far stretch from the more proper recipes she has in there. It really made me smile to see it. It made me smile even more to taste the end results! Enjoy.
Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies
- 1/2 cup shortening (I used softened butter)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
Cream shortening (or softened butter) & sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg & molasses. Sift together dry ingredients and add to above alternately with water. Drop by heaping teaspoon on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° 8-10 minutes.