it’s crazy wonderful out there
Recipe: cindy’s molasses cookies
I have amazing welts developing on my knuckles and fingers. Those blasted mosquitoes were so desperate, they tried to suck my blood from my hands. But Jeremy and I suffered the heat, the bugs, the lightning, the rain, the unstable slopes with thousand foot drops to our deaths, and other beautiful things to capture a little bit of what we love – alpine summer. In photographs! Actually, I suffered all of that to capture the shots, and Jeremy endured it because he is the ace number one guy in the whole wide world. I’m only a third of the way through processing 600 shots, but have a looksee.
evening clouds
not a time for allergies
the blue columbine is the colorado state flower for a reason
i’ll be back to shoot these gorgeous aspen stands in the fall
You can see more photos from the first and second days of the trip on the photo blog. I’ll be adding more as I get through them this week.
When I met my buddy Figs last summer on our trip to California, we crammed as much conversation into one hour as was humanly possible (we did a fine job, I might add). Right before she had to scooter back to work, Cindy presented us with two lovely boxes of homemade cookies. [I often wonder if we were, let’s say, machinist bloggers, would we give one another lathes, mills, and drill presses when we met? Because that would be pretty cool.]
crystallized ginger
ginger, cinnamon, clove, flour
I’m not much of a sweets person. At least, this is what I tell myself. I don’t indulge in the sweets from my own kitchen too often. For some reason, when it is a gift from a friend, it tastes *better* to me. Odd, huh? Maybe not. Maybe love makes everything taste better. That’s got to be it. I tasted a cookie as we drove across the bay to Grandma’s place. Mmmm, spicy.
butter and sugars
adding molasses
Chewy too. Soft and chewy. Maybe one more? Over the course of the next couple of days, I cleaned out my entire box of cookies. And that is saying something because whenever we visit Grandma we get stuffed to the hilt with Chinese food. But the cookies – they were that addictive. I’m not above begging, so I begged Cindy for the recipe, which she so graciously shared with me. I added a half cup of crystallized ginger to the dough. It was supposed to be minced, but when I put it through the food processor, it became more of a ginger paste. Nonetheless, it was a great addition to the cookie dough.
roll out a bazillion dough balls
don’t skip the icing
This recipe makes about 7 dozen cookies per batch. I worried that I wouldn’t want to eat any seeing as I made them, but I am quite fond of spicy, gingery molasses cookies. I ate several (probably too many) cookies before sending them off to other people
we have exceeded the optical depth of the cookies
Cindy’s Molasses Cookies
[print recipe]
slightly modified from Figs, Lavender, and Cheese
3/4 cup (170g) butter, softened
1 cup (190g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup (225g) sugar
2 eggs, well-beaten
1/2 cup (200g) molasses (not blackstrap)
1/2 cup (130g) crystallized ginger, minced
2 tsps (5g) vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla
3 3/4 cups (530g) flour
1 1/2 tsps (7g) baking soda (I use 1 tsp at 8500 ft.)
6 tsps (12g) ground ginger
2 tsps (5g) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (1g) ground cloves
1/4 tsp (2g) salt
icing
2 cups powdered sugar
about 1/4 cup milk
Cream together the butter and the sugars. Stir in the eggs, molasses, ginger, vinegar, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining (dry) ingredients and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix and beat until just combined. Preheat oven to 325°F. Form dough into 1-inch balls (about 20 grams per ball) and place on cookie sheet or Silpat with 1.5 inches of space between each (they spread a bit). Bake 12-16 minutes (16 minutes for me). Cookies should be still soft when removed from oven. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 75 cookies.
Make icing: Place powdered sugar in bowl and add a little milk, stirring to incorporate. Continue to add milk until the glaze has a good pouring consistency (but not too runny). Fill a squeeze bottle with the glaze and stripe the cookies. Let the glaze set.
July 13th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
They look so good, I adore ginger cookies!
And, I love the picture of the white trees, I had to scroll back up for a longer look. So beautiful!
Katie xox
July 13th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
My BF Dave LOVES ginger cookies so I will def. have to try this recipe since it won the Jen stamp of approval. Amazing Aspen pictures! I actually have a mug from Colorado that has an aspen design glaze on it that is truly beautiful.
July 13th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I absolutely love those aspens – gorgeous! And molasses cookies are a winner for me every time; they’re a little sweet, nice and spicy and chewy. I haven’t come across the perfect recipe though, so I’ll be auditioning this one as soon as I can!
July 13th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
I love any kind of molasses cookies and anything with crystalized ginger in it. MMMMM.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I love those cookies for sure.
and aspens – so gorgeous
July 13th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
Ooh! I have been looking for a good molasses cookie recipe, and then here comes this one. Perfect! Anything with icing. :D
July 13th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
Your blog is both food for the body & the soul.
Incredible pix!
July 13th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
Today I noticed something besides the beauty in your photographs…you’re using the flat beater in your mixer. Hmmm. I’ve had my mixer for 10 years and only used the whip and dough hook. I just dug out the flat beater and the instruction book, and it looks like I should have mainly been using the flat beater for the past 10 years. (And I do use the mixer several times a week). Doh.
Ooh – I have all the ingredients to make these cookies. I love that!
July 13th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I always admire your photographic skills! Those shots are just too beautiful to be described with words…
What delicious and dainty looking cookies!
Cheers,
Rosa
July 13th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful pictures. I sure hope some university/college in Boulder will be in need of a pair of economists a couple years from now ;)
July 14th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Love the lights and tones of the first pictures! Great job Jen! I hear you on picture processing after a trip. I still have a bunch from NC and now all the ones from VA, ehehe!! Must get ready and organized for SF!!
I can relate to the ginger molasses cookies too (not surprised there, are you?!). I never want to eat cookies but any of that kind and I go hide somewhere with a plate full :) Recipe bookmarked! Never can anyone have too many spicy ginger cookie recipes on hand. E-vah!
July 14th, 2009 at 3:34 am
What amazing pictures – as usual – I kind of want to bury my face into that heap of ginger cookies. Even your drizzle is neater than my drizzle, haha. Delicious.
July 14th, 2009 at 6:47 am
The cookies look delicious, and the photos are amazing.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:27 am
I am getting so insanely jealous looking at your pictures, it looks so wonderful. At least I get to see the pictures though, the wildflowers are just so pretty.
I have a terrible problem with just not having the time in the day/month/year to do everything I want to. I do my very best to try and live in the present and enjoy the moment, but its sometimes tricky!
July 14th, 2009 at 8:31 am
I love your trip photos, and admire your ability to process them right away. I’ve got a bunch from a trip a year ago I still haven’t gotten to!
The cookies look great too. If you like the ginger paste idea, stick with it, but if you want minced ginger in the food processor, try freezing it first. Should keep it from sticking to the blades as much.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:32 am
I can almost feel the crisp mountain air in your photos. Alpine air is simply good for the soul. Those cookies look pretty good for the soul too! Delicious.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:38 am
You amaze, you amaze, you amaze.
July 14th, 2009 at 8:40 am
The cookies look great. I love molasses….Your photographs are so beautiful. Such a talented lady!
July 14th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Mmm… I’ve been meaning to make ginger and molasses cookies. I had a recipe in mind, but this looks reeeaally tempting. And that photograph of the cloud is mind-boggling!
July 14th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Absolutely gorgeous photos – love how your landscapes transcend into the food pics so perfectly!
July 14th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
If we were carpenter bloggers, I’d send you a plumb-bob. I’m digging the little cookie stripes. These need to cool before you frost them, so I usually end up doing it at about 11:00 at night–too late for such fanciness. I loved minced ginger, but mincing it makes me so cross. Goos up everything. Any advice?
July 15th, 2009 at 12:25 am
I was just thinking about making molasses cookies, and here are some. Yum. They look awesome. I love the icing, I usuallyjust roll mine in sugar. I think mine need icing next time.
July 15th, 2009 at 12:42 am
wow! the scenery and pictures are just gorgeous! the cookies look so good & i’m keen to try it someday.
July 15th, 2009 at 7:50 am
Woohh!! This recipe couldn’t come at a better time, we’ve recently discovered molasse adn we now have a big jar in the cupboard. I was looking for a recipe to make cookies, because it seems a waste to just dip my finger into it the way I’m doing at the moment (yes, I’m a pig, but a very happy one, yummmm!!)
July 15th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Oh, and by the way, how could I have misssed your photo blog before?!??! It’s absolutely wonderful, so easy to get lost in those beautiful pictures!
July 15th, 2009 at 11:56 am
I’ve been dreaming of your pic of the aspens ever since you tweeted it. (And that’s saying a lot, cuz I almost never dream of anything unless I can eat it!)
July 15th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Love the pretty icing!!!!! This sounds like a savoury cookie hehe
Now you have us begging for more with the looksee!
July 16th, 2009 at 8:15 am
ohhhh i love these pictures. i lived in breckenridge, co for a few years and NOTHING is more beautiful than the aspens. in fact, your pictures capture colorado for so many reasons – mainly that you can just SEE how clear and clean the air is there. oh how i miss it. gorgeous. oh and those cookies ain’t too bad either!
July 18th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Nah, I think we just have the upper hand gifting-wise because food isn’t really as expensive as stuff! ;) It’s not like you give lenses to other photogs, lol, but I would start a photo blog if someone gave me a camera, hahaha! :P
There’s something about gifts that make them more delicious, but it’s already high up there on the deliciousness scale when it comes to ginger+molasses, for me, for serious. I am so addicted to the stuff I get the chills every December. As in, way above chocolate, berries, and maybe at the same level as mangoes ;) I have to say, good luck mincing the ginger, lol ;)
July 20th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Katie – thanks!
Whitney – wow, I usually find women who are big fans of ginger cookies, but not so many guys. How cool (and good taste)! Yes, there is something magical about aspens – I love them.
Caitlin – this one is totally not what I had expected to like so much, but I just DO!
Chiot’s Run – ditto :)
Charlane – thank you.
Haley – I’m generally not a fan of icing, but the icing on this cookie is a perfect bit of sweet to go along with the cookie.
Kath – awww, thank you!
Karen – yes yes, use the flat beater. It’s awesome (plus the whip can’t mix really thick doughs and such).
Rosa – thanks :)
Eesh – you can always keep your eyes peeled!
Tartelette – SF will be in a class of its own ;) It’s funny that I really did not like ginger as a kid, but now I LOVE it in sweet and savory cooking alike. Just can’t get enough. Plus, it really saved me from feeling nauseous all the time when I was on chemo. Yay for ginger!
Indigo – ha ha ;)
Lindsey – thank you!
Jenny – it really is a balancing act and some are better at it than others, but as long as you’re happy and healthy – you’re well ahead of the rest.
Paige – what a GREAT idea! Thanks. I’ll have to try that (or just suck it up and mince by hand) :)
Phoo-D – ha ha! Thank you :)
TKW – silly girl. You always make me laugh.
Debbie – thank you, hon. You’re too sweet.
Valerie – it was pretty cool to see. Sometimes the sunsets are total busts and other times they really pay off!
Holly – very sweet of you, thanks.
Cindy – Someone above suggested freezing them. Interesting idea, no?
Peabody – Oooh, I’ve never rolled in sugar before. Good idea!
NPM – thanks!
Pomme – ha ha. I sometimes forget what I use molasses for, but cookies and bbq usually come to the rescue!
Lucy – that’s a great quote ;)
Mrs. E – oh, but it’s soooo good (sweet) :)
We Are Never Full – thank you!
Manggy – it’s true, and the food is also “made by” person, you know? Something of a personal touch. I’m glad I do food, although it’d be fun to be a botanist and give everyone a little 4-inch plant ;) Oooh, same level as MANGOES? That’s saying something, for sure. Do mangoes and ginger play well together?!?
July 21st, 2009 at 7:41 am
Jen, I’m a freak for anything with spices – love it! The smell taking over the kitchen, yum!
I love how pretty these look, besides sounding delicious – they are a perfect gift!
July 21st, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Your photos are fabulous – both food and non-food!
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Cookies do always taste better when someone else makes them. Salads and sandwiches too…
July 28th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Your pictures of the nature are just amazing !
July 28th, 2009 at 9:00 am
Patricia – these are actually perfect to make in the fall or winter. Makes the whole house smell so cozy :)
Diane – thank you!
Mollie – or food in general? :)
Maybe – thanks!
September 15th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
jen, i will be making these for my hubby who doesn’t fancy CHOCOLATES! Do I use just regular white vinegar in these?
September 15th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Mrs. E – yup, I think regular white vinegar is what I used (I’m pretty sure considering how many vinegars we have in this house!)
October 8th, 2009 at 7:47 am
Over the past two days, I have made 4 batches, different recipes around the web, of molasses cookies, all are terrible! This recipe is completely different than what I have tried, I will try these, looks like it will be a keeper!
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