One of the things I love about the Christmas season is the abundance of homemade treats! Our 25 days of Christmas Cheer on a Budget wouldn’t be complete without sharing one of my favorite holiday treat recipes: my grandma’s Molasses Sugar Cookie recipe. I love the way these molasses sugar cookies are soft and slightly chewy. The molasses with along with ginger, cloves, and cinnamon just tastes like Christmas to me!
Not only are they delicious, they’re simple too. When I was in elementary school I made these to enter into the fair and came home with a blue ribbon.
If you’re a visual learner, the short video below will show you exactly how to make them, or you can continue reading the instructions below. At the bottom of the post is a printable version of the recipe.
The ingredients are pretty basic things you probably have in your pantry with the possible exception of the molasses. Not everyone keeps that on hand. I really only have it to make these cookies.
Besides molasses, you’ll need sugar, an egg, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, and shortening.
Shortening isn’t my favorite kind of fat to bake with. I only use it for this receipe and for pie crust. I prefer to bake with butter. I’ve tried substituting butter in molasses sugar cookies and they don’t turn out the same. They still taste good, but they are very flat. So we use shortening.
Ingredients
3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teapsoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
Melt shortening over low heat until is is completely liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool completely. I’m honestly not sure what this does or why it’s a step in the recipe, but this is how my grandma (who is an amazing baker) taught me, so I do it.
When the shortening has cooled, add in 1/4 cup molasses, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg. To minimize dirty dishes, I just use the pan instead of a bowl.
In a separate bowl mix together the remaining ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the pan. This will make a somewhat stiff dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 min.
Roll dough into balls then roll balls in sugar.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
Cool on the cookie sheet for one minute then transfer to cooling rack.
Enjoy!
I wish I could share some with each of you, so you would know how yummy they are, but you’ll just have to trust me and go make a batch or two to see for yourself.
What is your favorite homemade holiday treat?
Print Recipe
- ¾ cup shortening
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teapsoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Melt shortening over low heat until is is completely liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool completely.
- When the shortening has cooled, add in ¼ cup molasses, 1 cup sugar, and 1 egg. To minimize dirty dishes, I just use the pan instead of a bowl.
- In a separate bowl mix together the remaining ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the pan. This will make a somewhat stiff dough.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 min.
- Roll dough into balls then roll balls in sugar.
- Bake on a greased cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
- Cool on the cookie sheet for one minute then transfer to cooling rack.
Next in the series:
Day 22: Homemade Cranberry Sauce
This is a recipe that was in the 4-H cookbook many, many years ago — probably in the late 50s (I’m guessing that I’m of your grandmother’s generation 🙂 ) ! Except for melting the shortening, I’ve made this exact recipe way more times than I’d like to admit. They are wonderful. Thanks for reminding me about them — think I’ll make a batch to share on the Christmas plates! Means I’ll have to buy some shortening — haven’t used that for years. I keep molasses on had to make my grandmother’s recipe for baked beans in the summer. I’m enjoying your frugal holidays columns. I think we can all learn from those special recipes and ways of doing things that our grandparents and even great-grandparents followed. A lot of them lived through the Depression and could really pinch a penny. Important to know how to do these days!
I’ve found molasses at Dollar Tree!
No way! That’s awesome!