It’s baking day! In some homes this means hundreds of cookies and several recipes, laughter and songs and… I don’t know, Muppets? Elves? I’m not really clear on what other people’s traditions involve. In my house, I might make a few kinds of cookies, but only one at a time (and somewhat grudgingly). I made chocolate chip for the kids’ teachers last week (using the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, so I had Phoebe Buffay’s voice in my head the whole time).
Today, I’m making ginger crinkles.
They’re one of Santa’s favourites. I can’t guarantee that he’ll leave more or better presents if you leave these out for him, but it can’t hurt. And hey, even if they’re for your friends and not the big man himself, they’re fantastic. Gingery and yummy and soft, and they make your house smell FANTASTIC while they’re baking. Wins all around!
Simon (8) just tasted one for the first time this year. His initial reaction was “It’s nice… I guess I like it.” After another two bites, we reached, “MOM. My heart explodes when I eat these!”
Good review.
You want the recipe? Here you go, with my own substitutions (original recipe calls for shortening, I used coconut oil):
Ginger Crinkles
Ingredients:
2.25 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
.5 tsp ground cloves
.25 tsp salt1 cup brown sugar
.75 cup coconut oil (soft, but not liquid)
.25 cup molasses
1 large eggwhite sugar for rolling
-Stir together first 6 ingredients
-In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except for white sugar) and beat well
– add dry ingredients to mixture, beating well (mine came out really crumbly today… don’t know what that was about, but it still worked)
-form 1″ balls of dough and roll in white sugar. Place 2″ apart on cookie sheet
-bake in 350 degree (F) oven for 15 minutes**Your oven may vary… mine has been CRAZY lately. Original recipe says 10 minutes. Bake until they’re getting brown on the bottom, anyway.
There you go. My gift to you. Enjoy!
Now, it’s Sunday, so that means…
ROW80 Update!
I guess this will be my last one for this round, unless I manage to post on Christmas Day. Wow. Well, I’d call this round a success. I won NaNoWriMo, but more importantly I finished a re-draft of the second novel in this series. I wrote most days, though not all. I’ve been slacking off a lot this month, but still edited and posted a story, something that wasn’t on my goals list, but I’m glad I did it. So far it’s getting some lovely comments.
Next round is going to be insane, but I’m trying not to think about that right now. Nope, as of right now it’s just deep breaths, get through Christmas, and hold off on worrying about all of that until the new year.
And then, presumably, freak out. That’s a sound business strategy, yes?
So, what have you been baking? Or buying? Or scraping off the soles of your shoes to serve to your guests? I won’t judge.
December 22nd, 2013 at 5:15 pm
As I type, I have sugar cookie dough chilling in my frig. One of those “retains the shape after baking” recipes I have been dying to try. I plan to also make some of those “place and bake” types cookies too (bought via daughter’s fund raiser). It is the bakingest time of the year! 🙂
December 22nd, 2013 at 5:17 pm
If that sugar cookie recipe works out, would you mind sending it to me? All of the sugar cookie recipes I’ve tried in past years have been really bland or downright gross– great for decorating, not for eating.
It really IS the bakingest time of the year!
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:56 pm
Just got the first batch out of the oven. They taste like those Danish, blue tin cookies. (Do you know them?) Five sticks of unsalted butter FTW! http://sweetopia.net/2009/12/sugar-cookie-recipe/
December 22nd, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Sweet, thanks! I’ll have to buy butter. 🙂
December 22nd, 2013 at 8:49 pm
I hope I can do it without a stand mixer… they sound delicious!
December 23rd, 2013 at 10:21 am
I made it with a standard hand mixer, using standard beaters. 🙂
December 23rd, 2013 at 1:45 am
I applaud your gingery yummyness. Sadly the christmas baking has been lacking this year at home – although hubby did bake his mother’s (recipe) Christmas cake – he’s a good man! I’m responsible for the fruit platter at our clan gathering and have been basking in the greatest hardship is risking Christmas Eve shopping crowds for fresh fruit… Have a very Merry Christmas!
December 24th, 2013 at 3:02 am
Mmmm, cookies….
Oddly enough, my grandmother’s recipe was the Tollhouse cookie recipe…
Hope you have a delicious and Merry Christmas!
December 24th, 2013 at 3:07 pm
You, too! The tollhouse cookies are pretty darn good, I must say. 🙂