Cookie for You

When I was in high school, there was a little homemade ditty I shared with some good friends whenever we enjoyed a cookie after lunch. We called it the Cookie Song.

It went like this:

Cookie for me
Cookie for you
That’s the end of the song

My mother always made soft gingerbread cookies around the holidays to pass around to the family. I really didn’t like gingerbread when I was little, and I still don’t, but at the request of a family member, I made some this year. Here’s my mother’s soft gingerbread cookie recipe:

1 cup soft shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup molasses (12 oz bottle)
2/3 cup cold water

7 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream together shortening and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add molasses, blend well. Stir in water. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into molasses mixture. Chill until firm, about 5 hours. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies and place on lightly greased cookie sheets with at least a centimeter space between each cookie. Bake at 350 Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 60 cookies.

I would really suggest cutting this recipe in half unless you’ve got a jones for gingerbread. Happy holidays!