Soft Ginger-Molasses Cookies

Molasses!  What is it about molasses?  All I have to do is open the tin and mess and mayhem ensues.  It only takes one escaped drop to destroy the whole kitchen.  It sticks to your fingers which transfer the goo to every surface you touch, and some surfaces you don't touch.  How did molasses get on the kitchen window?!  

Perhaps molasses behaves in this unruly way because it only comes out around Christmas time each year.  I never think of using it until it's time to do the holiday baking.  Let's face it, you can't make a Christmas cake, gingerbread, or spicy cookies without it.  So get ready, this is going to get messy.  

SOFT GINGER-MOLASSES COOKIES

2 1/4 cup plain flour
1 cup white caster sugar
3/4 cup margarine - softened (I used Stork)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses or black treacle
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Sugar for coating cookie dough before baking


Preheat the oven to 350F/175C  Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.  Set these to one side.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar.  Add the egg and mix well.  Stir in the molasses.  Gradually stir the sifted dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.  Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill while you clean the molasses off the cupboards, ceiling, floor, and yourself.  (If you have pets, they may need molasses removal, too.)  When every surface in the kitchen has been de-gooed it's time to bake the cookies.

Place three tablespoons of sugar into a small bowl.  Roll the cookie dough into walnut size balls and coat them in the sugar.  Place the dough balls onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them two inches apart, and slightly flatten them to make a cookie shape.   Bake for about 8 - 10 minutes.  Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about five minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.  

To keep these cookies soft, store them in an airtight container.   I am pretty sure these are the cookies you are supposed to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve.  I think it says that on the side of the molasses tin.