I Was On A Roll.....

I shared with you last week my venture into cookie baking.  Something you must know is that, until the Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, the last time I had a successful cookie baking session, I was using my Easy Bake Oven and was about 11-years-old.  They were awful but my parents choked them down, as it was their sworn duty to do so!

At the blogger's luncheon a couple of weeks ago, one of the bloggers had baked some wonderful Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies.  The hubster loved them so I decided to try to find the recipe.  I didn't find Eilis' recipe (I later e-mailed her to get it), but I did find an alternative that would do in a pinch.  And while my friend Connie was here to put out any fires (literally), I got her to help me again.  After all, the Red Velvet Crinkle cookies were edible, so why not roll the dice one more time...famous last words, right?!?  Notice I did not say that this recipe was "easy peasy" and that I didn't mess it up...keep that in mind.  :-)

Here's the recipe we used for the Ginger Crinkle Cookies:

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3 tablespoons powdered sugar, for rolling

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar and the butter together with an electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon until soft and fluffy (I used a mixer...I'm lazy that way).  Beat in molasses and egg.  Stir in remaining ingredients, EXCEPT for the 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar (for rolling only) until well blended.

Place the 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar in a small bowl.  Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into balls; roll in sugar.  On ungreased cookie sheet (we used parchment paper), place balls 2 inches apart.

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.  I had to bake for a little over 9 minutes.  Remove from oven and after 1 or 2 minutes, transfer cookies to cooling rack.


We made 2 batches of these cookies, each batch yielding about 40 cookies.  The first batch came out fine, as did the second batch.  ONLY, on the second batch of cookies, I melted the butter because it was frozen and was going to take forever to unthaw.  Who knew that melted butter changed the texture of the dough?  Certainly not me!!  But it did.  It made the dough lighter and more fluffy...I loved the feel of this dough but you can't handle it as long (it gets sticky/melty) and it wouldn't hold the powered sugar...the dough soaked it right up.

Both batches of cookies looked and tasted exactly the same.  Since the dough wouldn't hold the powdered sugar, after cooling, I had to rain shower the powdered sugar on the cookies.  No biggie...just made them better....see for yourself....


...not one single cookie left to photograph!  I should have done it right after they were through cooling, but I thought I would have some left.  Note to self:  hide the Ginger Crinkles from the hubster!!

I will be making more cookies this week (grabbing photos immediately) and will be flying solo.  Connie had to return to Wyoming and we have no Red Velvet Crinkles or Ginger Crinkles to take to Alabama for the holidays.  To quote Dr. Seuss...."And the one speck of food that he left in the house, was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse."

Wish me luck!  If these turn out well, I will move on to something a little more complicated and delicate....Aspen Snowflake Potato Chip Cookies!

 

28 comments

  1. They sound delicious and your photos are beautiful!

    Merry Christmas friend.

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    1. They were very good! Now to get some more before Thursday! :-) Thank you so much! Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  2. Sound Yummy. I am not getting your email notice when you post. I will try to sign up again.
    Hugs,
    Kris

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    1. Thanks so much! They were good and I love the smell of fresh baked cookies…so yummy! :-) The email didn’t go out until this morning…maybe that’s why. Love and hugs and Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  3. This recipe looks so yummy too. I know that there is a baker in that little body of yours. Keep on Keeping on! xoxo

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    1. Thank you so much! I'm trying...like the Little Engine That Could...LOL Love and hugs and Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  4. Molasses is good for you so eat up! Had to pin the recipe. Hubs loves molasses so I should make some for him. xoxo

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    1. I have no problem with eating all of these molasses-filled cookies…LOL. They were so very good! Thank you for pinning and thank you again for sending me that recipe earlier…can’t wait to try those cookies! :-) I may be a cookie-baking freak before the end of 2017…LOL He will like these…give them a try! Love and hugs and Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  5. For so many years I made fudge and all kinds of Christmas candy and desserts. I could put fine tips on meringue. But now, I tend to buy those things. It's all I can do to cook supper! But I applaud your continuing the tradition of the holidays. They must have been good if they were all gone so fast!
    Brenda

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    1. Honey, I am jealous of those skills! I cannot make candy and I cannot do a meringue and I surely cannot use pastry bags and tips to make those beautiful decorations!! I have always bought them because I'm so intimidated by the artwork! :-) They were good and I will have to hide this next batch so I can have some to take home! Love and hugs and Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  6. I love ginger cookies of any sort...thanks for the share! I'm glad you were so successful! LOL
    Keep baking! Merry Christmas to you and your family, Benita!
    xoxo, T.

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    1. Me too! I could eat an entire tub of Trader Joe's ginger snaps all by myself....and I love to dip them in a lemon curd dip...YUM!!! Thank you so much...I'm glad they turned out. We will see how the next batch goes since I won't have any assistance...LOL Merry, Merry Christmas to you all also Tina! Love and hugs!!

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  7. Oh these sound so good!! The scent in the house must have been heavenly!!

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    1. The house smelled absolutely wonderful!! I love the scents of Christmas…nothing better!! Merry, Merry Christmas! Love and hugs!!

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  8. I bet they were some good...I love ginger anything...well, cookie anything...oh wait...sweet anything! Looks like if I was there I'd have been fighting your hubster for the last crumb! ;)
    I can't wait to see what you make solo...I know it's going to be just as good Benita!
    Wishing you the most wonderful Christmas and 2017! Big Hugs, Kimberley

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    1. Honey, me too! If it has sugar in it, I love it! I’m like Buddy the Elf, it is one of the 4 major food groups for me! The holidays have been killing me with trying to watch what I eat…my sugars on MyFitnessPal are all over the place…LOL There WAS a fight over those cookies, believe me…LOL. He’s a ginger cookie fiend…LOL

      I can’t wait to see how they turn out without Connie also….if you see smoke, you will know what happened…LOL. Thank you for having so much faith in me, but you have not seen the baking failures I’ve had over the years...LOL :-) Merry, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Love and big hugs to you!!

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  9. I love cookies with ginger in them, have a triple ginger recipe somewhere, so I'm sure these were delicious. Safe travel to Alabama, dear Benita!

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    1. Oooooohhhhh, you so need to find that recipe and share it!! I love gingerbread cookies and gingerbread cake and ginger snaps and ginger crinkles...well, you get the picture...LOL

      Thank you so much sweet lady! I hope you have a most wonderful Christmas and New Year!! Not too much longer before you will be home! I'm so excited for you! Love and hugs!!

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  10. I love using ginger in cooking ...

    All the best Jan

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    1. I do too Jan...it has the most wonderful taste and smell! Love and hugs...Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  11. Your cookies sound so good. Yeah, you can't mess around with specifics in a recipe when baking like you can while cooking! You will remember now having learned the hard way. I put my cookies in the freezer as soon as they are cooled. That way no sticky fingers get to them!

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    1. They were good and I was so glad they turned out. You are so right…baking is baking and there is no playing around with recipes in baking. You follow the rules all the way. I wonder if I can freeze these? That would solve a lot of my problems right there! :-) Love and hugs and Merry, Merry Christmas!!

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  12. You're a trouper Benita! You know what they say...if at first you don't succeed, head to the bakery ;).

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    1. Ha ha....you are so right!! And that's what I usually do...Nothing Bundt Cakes is my favorite bakery...LOL...the local Brookshires! Love and hugs to you and Merry Christmas!!!

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  13. This looks like a great recipe, Benita! I've only attempted gingerbread once...it was so dry I could barely roll it out! I have the same patience problem with softening butter and even cream cheese. One thing that works for me is heating up a damp towel in the microwave and wrapping the stick of butter or brick of cream cheese, still wrapped, in the towel. Check it every minute. Hope this helps. I'm not a very good baker but I know how to cut corners!

    Oh...I miss my Easy Bake Oven!!! Why did you have to bring that up? And it was a Christmas present, too! Bwaaaaaaa... ;-D

    Jane

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    1. These cookies are delicious...truly. And relatively easy. The butter was the only issue I ran into...I just had no idea it would make a difference. Thanks for that tip...I will give it a try. I have a recipe for Gingerbread Cream Cheese Dip and had to let that cream cheese sit forever to get soft enough to use. I'm all about cutting corners!! Honey, I loved that Easy Bake Oven...it was one of the best Christmas presents I ever got!!! :-) Love and hugs and Merry Christmas!!

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  14. Yum ... I have the same problem with butter. Grrr! And I am with you, who knew it would be such a big deal!
    Happy Christmas!
    Carla

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    1. It is such a pain, that’s for sure!! At least I’ve learned my lesson…hopefully! :-) Merry Christmas to you sweet friend! Love and hugs!!

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