Good Day

I had the best day I've had in a long time this week.  It started out with a lot of giving, but as is His custom, I got back so much more than I ever anticipated.  (AND it involved baking cookies!  Which, if you remember, always brings me joy...)

Merry Christmas, neighborlies!

This is a recipe I wasn't expecting to thrill me, but boy howdy was I surprised!  These warm, spicy cookies rich with ginger and molasses make the perfect companion to a steaming mug of tea.  They're big and pillowy-- just substantial enough to qualify as the perfect mid-afternoon snack (or have two for dinner like me!).

Giant Molasses Spice Cookies

*Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes "Giant Ginger Cookies"

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup molasses

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

4 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Then add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated.  Pour in molasses, honey, and vanilla, and stir to combine.  Slowly add flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, allspice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until just combined.  Then shape the dough into large balls using a 1/4 cup measure.  (They will be BIG!)  Place dough balls on a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  When ready to bake, place 6-8 balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.  After removing the cookies from the oven, let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  When cooled, dust with powdered sugar.  (Makes about 20 cookies)