Molasses Cookies

The third time is the charm.

First, I tried to make Chocolate Toffee Cookies from Smitten Kitchen.

When you end up using emergency substitutions for 3 of the main ingredients they don't turn out so well. Or, I should say, they don't turn out so well as cookies. As a dough...yummy. Think brownie batter with toffee and chocolate chips.

I made myself a little sick.

So, I'm going to have to try these again. Hopefully when I plan ahead and actually have the correct ingredients.

Next, I tried to make Cheesecake Cookies from Buns in My Oven.

This time I thought they were pretty good...like a shortbread cookie. Not too sweet, but yummy. Except afterward I realized I used half the butter the recipe called for.

Super.
And I sent these cookies to James (who if you remember won some cookie love sent to him) and now I'm a little embarrassed, but I thought they still tasted OK. Maybe a little dry now that I realize that I left out half the butter.

For my third attempt, I went to one of my regular recipes. I never met a person who didn't like Molasses Cookies. I'm not joking. Everyone loves these things.

And they are basic and easy.

It's messy work, but soooooo worth it.

I like to roll all the dough out first so it's ready to go then I just plop the little balls onto my cookie sheet and it makes the baking process go really quickly.

I use about a 1 1/2 Tablespoon sized scoop for these, I don't squish them down at all, but if I made them bigger I would do a slight flattening of the cookie.

Other tricks I use:
Parchment Paper. I'm obsessed. I don't bake without it. I know you can use a silicone mat, but if you've ever washed a silicone mat you will understand my love for parchment paper. Nothing sticks, I use it twice (on each side), I don't have to wash the pan, and when I'm done it goes into the trash (Can you recycle it? Anyone know?).

Timers. I've tried to use the clock. I've tried to use my nose. Sometimes they work...sometimes they don't. I almost always ended up burning at least one pan. So I use two timers. One for each tray of cookies in the oven.

(This is an out of focus picture. I am well aware of the bad lighting in my kitchen thankyouverymuch.)

mmmmmm....COOKIES!

They're great plain. They'll keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container or you can freeze them.

Except I didn't want plain cookies, so I kicked it up a notch.
With Vanilla Bean Buttercream.

I know. I'm sorry.

I love, love, LOVE vanilla beans. If you're intimidated by them, don't be. They are forgiving, delicious, magical additions to ice cream, icing, and just about anything else.

I thought they would be hard, but a vanilla bean is flexible and a little like a Twizzler.

Just slice down the middle.

Scrape down the opening with the edge of your (slightly rusty) knife.

And use those beautiful seeds for all things good.

Like buttercream:

I may have been inspired by the Oatmeal Cream Pies from Sugarland, but these Molasses Cream Pies were BANGIN'. That's right I said bangin'.

Molasses Cookies
3/4 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Molasses
2 1/4 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Cloves
1/4 tsp Salt

Mix butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses. Blend in remaining ingredients. Cover and chill one hour. Heat oven to 350. Shape dough in rounded balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream
(I doubled the recipe in the pictures, so this is for a single batch. And, yes, I measured.)

1/2 cup Butter
2 cups Powdered Sugar
1-2 Tblsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Vanilla Bean, scraped

Mix all ingredients together, add more milk as necessary to reach desired consistency.