I love gingerbread cookies. I’ll chose a gingersnap over a chocolate chip cookie any day. Who wants a plain Jane cookie when you can have a explosion of flavor.I adore the sharpness and slight burn of the ginger, the depth of flavor that the molasses brings and the combination of spices that bring the whole cookie together. My gingerbread has a different spice combination every year. This year I’ve taken out the traditional cloves and added in black pepper and finely ground orange peel. I’ve also doubled the ginger. In past years I’ve added in espresso powder, lemon zest and cocoa powder. The base of my cookie recipe never changes. I use the same recipe that my Great Grandmother used for her famous molasses cookies and I build on it from there. My Great Grandmother was not known for her cooking. In fact we cringed every time that she would cook for us. The only things that she ever got right were her breads and her molasses cookies. So keeping the tradition alive I make gingerbread cookies every holiday season. I’m sharing this year’s spice combination with you.
Gingerbread Cookies (revamped Molasses Cookie Recipe)
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 tablespoons vinegar
5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon ground orange peel (I use the dried peel found in Asian markets and run it through my coffee grinder)
Cream shortening and sugars until light.
Add in egg, molasses and vinegar and mix well.
Combine all dry ingredients together then add dry ingredients to wet mixture.
If making cut out cookies chill the dough overnight. If making drop cookies chill dough for at least 2 hours.
For cut out cookies roll portions of dough out on a lightly floured surface. Keep the dough thick. (1/4")
For drop cookies roll dough into 1" balls.
Cool completely before removing from baking sheets.
Decorate as desired and store the cookies in a covered container to develop a deeper flavor.
What holiday cookie do you make that has been in your family for a long time? What new cookies have you added to your traditions?
I just got such a hunger pang looking at those. I could dive in right now and leave you with an empty plate. They look perfect!
Your cookies look so festive! I’m glad tio see you’re feeling better. We really do not have a cookie that’s been in our family a long time. My grandmother and I used to make her rum ball recipe when I was in college (hic), yep I could not drive home…I found a rum ball recipe last year and I think it’s Emeril’s and it is so close if not exactly like hers. I am going to make those in her memory.
Those are such pretty cookies!
We do gingerbread cookies every year. It is a big escapade because one of them always escapes and my kids have such fun trying to figure out where it escaped to!
Thanks for sharing! I just got my mom to send me her sugar cookie recipe. Every year growing up we would have a cookie party. My mom would bake all the cookies and all of our friends would come over to decorate. I’m hosting mine on Saturday. I may have to throw some gingerbread into the mix!
Mmmm, I think I really like your way, Michele! I adore the zing of ginger too and the addition of black pepper is especially nice. I also like that you’ve done some as drop cookies … so much easier and still really beautiful. Love this recipe, thanks!
I’ve begun baking as well. Made my traditional Hungarian Horns yesterday and blogged about it today. The recipe also came from my grandmother and it wouldn’t be Christmas without them.
Cheers!
looks beautiful and so festive!
I love black pepper and I am intriqued with this version of your gingerbread cookie. And they look so festive. I could go for a few or 5 with a freezing cold glass of milk. Perfect for an evening while decorating the tree. You got a tree, right? And you found the bulbs? Did you get my hug?
These look so pretty! I bet they are delicious!
They’re gorgeous! We don’t ever have a Christmas without Nanaimos and Cookie Dough Truffles. Two of my very favorites!
How cool! You’re very lucky to still have the recipe base of your Great Grandmother. I love the combo you went for this year, it’s my favourite so far
Interesting spice combo w/ the addition of dried orange peel. These are beautiful
Those cookies sound fantastic! I like the notion of adding orange flavor to them. And the decorating job is soooo pretty! (that’s usually where i fall short
)
I know you’re crazed with work, Michele, but I have a little award for you on my blog today. I just wanted you to know that I think you’re Uber!
I’d also turndown a lifetime of chocolate chip cookies if it meant I could have gingerbread instead. The first cookie I ever made was, in fact, a molasses cookie.
The other Christmas favorite in my family: Jan Hagel, a Scandinavian crisp cookie cut into diamond shapes. They’re full of cinnamon (similar to snickerdoodles in flavor) and layered with toasted sliced almonds. I found the recipe in a Land O’Lakes cookie cookbook.
Tamara at BuzzFood
Looks tasty. I love gingerbread cookies – they are my favorite thing to bake during the holidays.
The colors are so vibrant. I love this picture. And I’m with you, I love a really good gingerbread, but it has to have a good frosting too.
Have a good weekend!
Your cookies are beautiful! Black pepper?!!! I love the way you play with a recipe. My great grandmother made the best molasses cookies. These were a staple of my childhood, but I don’t think I’ve had one since Grandma Richards died.
I’ll have to see if someone has her recipe…
Michele, what a lovely tribute to your Great Grandmother. The cookies look and sound very tasty. My husbands favorite cookie is ginger snap. It’s the cookie his mom always made for him at Christmas. My favorite are Polvorones (biscochos). I use the recipe my Grandmother used.
Those sprinkles you have used are gorgeous! Thanks for a Christmas cookie recipe that is just that little bit different – black pepper and orange peel – yum!
I just read your site – thanks for writing. I just wanted to give you guys a heads up that it’s not showing correctly on the BlackBerry Browser (I have a Blackberry 9700). Anyway, I just subscribed to the RSS feed on my mac, so thanks again!