These are classic cookies - suitable for the holidays, with their fancy spices, but down-home enough that you can make them anytime.  Plus, they're adorably, perfectly round cookies, which makes you feel like you've mastered something tricky.

Makes 40 - 50 cookies, depending how big you like 'em.

Total prep and cooking time:  45 minutes  

My original recipe had only the cryptic instructions "Mix and bake for 10 minutes at 350" and assumed that I would know the rest.  Frankly, I'm a little surprised it bothered telling me I had to mix the ingredients, since it was making a lot of other assumptions.  Here's a teensy bit more detail:

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the oil and sugar together.  You don't need a mixer here, a wooden spoon is fine.  Add the egg, and beat until smooth.  Add the molasses* and beat until smooth.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Whisk until thoroughly combined, and then  dump it into the molasses mixture.  Stir slowly as the dough stiffens up into a thick paste, being sure to incorporate all of the flour.  You don't want any white streaks in the dough, it should be completely dark brown.

Use a teaspoon to scoop up a walnut-sized lump of dough, and roll it between your palms until it is nice and round.  Dip the top of it in white granualted sugar and place it on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Leave a little room between each cookie, as they will expand.

Bake at 350 F for about 10 minutes - they should be a little underdone when you pull them out, or they will get very, very hard and be useful only for dunking in coffee (which is not a bad way to go, really).  If your oven is a little slow, feel free to crank it up to 375 to ensure that the cookies develop their characteristic crackled tops.  Remove to cooling racks immediately, and get the next batch in the oven.  Try not to eat them all at once.

*a nifty way to make sure you get all the molasses out of the measuring cup is to use the same cup that you measured the oil in.  The molasses will just slide right out.

Always In the Kitchen     © 2003-2008 Dawna L. Read