We made up this cookie dough last weekend (and by 'we' I mean Ernie) and it's been sitting in the refrigerator since. Last night I had to work and got home in the midst of the snow coming down, but Ernie had baked some of these cookies and I convinced him to put a fire in the fireplace. A delightful evening and I LOVE these cookies. They are VERY spicy...using a whole two tablespoons of cloves and molasses. You have to like spices but if you do, you will love these.
Lauren's Spice Cookies
Gourmet | February 1990
by Lauren J. Diamond: Mt. Vernon, New York
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground mace
In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together the oil, the molasses, 1 cup of the sugar, and the eggs until the mixture is smooth. In a bowl stir together the flour, the baking soda, the cinnamon, the ginger, the cloves, and the mace and add the mixture to the molasses mixture. Beat the mixture until it is combined well and chill the dough, covered, overnight. Form the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and roll the balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar to coat them well. Bake the balls 3 inches apart on buttered baking sheets in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the tops crack. Transfer the cookies to racks and let them cool.
Note: We didn't have mace, used about 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg....would have used a whole teaspoon but got tired of grating it. Also, we did let these sit in the refrigerator for much of the week...don't know how that affects the texture. We ended up with a soft chewy cookie with a crunchy exterior. I imagine they would be delightful with coffee....pretty great with coffeemilk!
