Cooking with Ben: Molasses Sugar Cookies

Ben says "Hello blog pals and welkom to Ben's keetchun! Today we a goeeng to make Molassuss shugar kookees!" This recipe comes from Papa's grandmother, and we've included it below. Here's what they look (Ben is proudly posing with his latest culinary creation):

Chef Ben explains "Furst you mak the dough, chill it, and roll it into littul balls, like thiz:"

"Then, your bakeeng sheet look this thiz:"

Ben continues "Next, you uze fork, dip in shugar, and pess on kookees, like thiz:"

"Then yur kookees will look like thiz:"

Ben concludes "Aftur you fineesh bakeeng them, itz alwayz gud to hav a taste testur to make shur that the kookees are gud..."

Jerry crunches "Me think xxhy axx bxooyxx gxx!..." Which when a little bear has a mouth full of cookie means "I think they are beary good!" We hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ben's Molasses Sugar Cookies
yield approx. 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup Crisco or vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cup sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preheat the oven to 375 fahrenheit. Melt shortening over low heat, then cool. In the meantime, In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt; set mixture aside. Add sugar and molasses to the melted shortening and beat well. Add to the dry mixture to the shortening mixture and combine well. Chill dough at least 2 hours (overnight works well too). Form dough into small balls, and place on baking sheet. Use a fork dipped in white sugar to make a criss-cross patter on the cookies; dip the fork in sugar before pressing it into each cookie. Bake on greased baking sheet (or use Silpats--French non-stick baking mats) for 7-to-8 minutes. You can bake the cookies for a shorter time if you like chewier cookies.