Ginger Creams from Dot’s Kitchen

 From Great Grandma Dot’s Recipe Book:

1 cup molasses

1 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1 cup hot water

1 teaspoon baking soda

Enough flour so spoon will drop slowly

Ginger

Cinnamon

And other spices as desired – let stand overnight – spread thick in pan

Bake and frost with powdered sugar frosting cut in oblongs.

As I’ve mentioned before, these were most likely baked in a wood stove, where time and temperature were variables that didn’t always stay the same. 

I baked them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and they were chewy without being burnt or hard.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do not have shortening, and coconut oil was suggested as the closest substitute because butter and margarine both have more water. I had half a cup of coconut oil, so I did a little margarine combo with half and half. 

I now know why they talk about things being as slow as molasses. I drained the dregs of my molasses bottle but didn’t have the patience to wait for the last little bit, so there’s about a spoonful of honey in there as well.

I had my ingredients set up for a beautiful shot, and then I got impatient with the molasses and dumped everything else in while I was waiting 😂.

Here’s everything but the molasses, hot water, and flour.

I spun it up before adding the flour, and the mixture bubbled out over the sides.

I mixed in the flour until the spoon was a "slow drop".

The amount of stickiness panicked me and I lined my baking sheet with foil and parchment paper.

I would probably use the regular mixer if I made this recipe again because I think it would give me a better idea of the consistency of the dough when adding flour.

This may go hand in hand with anything involving molasses, but this is a messy project.

It didn’t say to cover it with plastic, that’s a cat precaution on my part.

It’s sitting overnight, and we will flash forward to the finished product!