Grandma's Gingerbread
Contributed by: NAPSA
A Sweet Way To Celebrate The Holidays-And 500 Years Of Good Taste (NAPSA) - This holiday season, you can get a taste of history and create great desserts at the same time.
Although molasses is very in with today's health- and taste-conscious cooks, its history in America actually dates back to 1493 when Columbus brought it to the West Indies. Molasses became an important trade item between the Old and New Worlds. In fact, some historians say it was not the British tax on tea that precipitated the Revolutionary War but the Molasses Act of 1733 that imposed a heavy tax on the sweet stuff brought in from anywhere but British-held islands in the Caribbean.
Once that was settled, molasses became a delicious part of American cooking. The savory sweetness of all natural molasses imparts moistness and a delicate caramel aroma to cookies, pies and brown breads, while adding iron, calcium and other nutrients.
To savor the past and present of molasses for yourself, consider these recipes:
Grandma's Chocolate Pecan Pie -
Grandma's Oatmeal Lace Cookies
Ingredients:
- 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter or shortening
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Grandma's Molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Directions:
Beat butter with sugar and molasses. Mix in egg. Sift dry ingredients and add to wet mixture. Mix well.
Chill in freezer 1 hour or in refrigerator 2 hours. Heat oven to 350 F.
Roll out a portion of the dough 1/4-in. thick on lightly floured board. Chill remaining dough. Cut with cookie cutter, place on greased baking sheets and decorate with raisins, chips or nuts, if desired.
Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool.
Serving Size: 3 dozen
