Emilycat's Cookies Rock!

[katygirl]

I just made these cookies which were posted by Emily a while ago. They are so delicious! I am eating a warm one as I type this. They are so soft, chewy and flavorful. I can't wait to make them again. Thanks for posting these!

I just want to reiterate, don't overbake these. When I took them out of the oven they did look underdone. But once they set they are sooooooo good.

:) Katy



Ginger-sugar cookies

Sift together in a bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 t. ginger
1/4 t. salt

In another bowl beat together until fluffy:
5 T. light butter (I use Land O' Lakes light butter, but if you must, I suppose you could use the full-fat version. )
1 cup sugar
Then beat in:
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg

Beat flour and molasses mixtures together; refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Form rounded tablespoons of dough into balls; roll in 1/4 c. sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes; cool on wire racks.

*I like to bake them for the least amount of time as possible -- they're chewier that way. They'll be soft when you take them from the pans (parchment paper works like a dream here), but they'll harden, so don't be tempted to bake them for longer than sugggested.

[JHolcomb]

Mmmm...I have a very yummy ginger crinkle cookie recipe that my dad and Grandma Holcomb bug me to make every time they see me, but they have SHORTENING in them, YUCK! I only make them for Christmas and shortening is an essential ingredient, too-they're not the same with butter. So I never, ever make them for myself or for DH who loves them and begs for them too-these, we could eat. I'll have to try them out. What better way to put penzey's #1 China ginger to work, huh? Emily, DH thanks you already for bringing ginger cookies back into our house.

[BlueMoose]

Ok, I have to ask, why are so many people so anti-shortening? I don't use it much, because I don't bake a whole lot, but there are some recipes that IMO are definitely better with shortening. Is it a health thing because it's hydrogenated, or what?:confused:

[emilycat]

Katy, thanks so much! These are probably my favorite cookies -- I love them!
Jen, these are actually my adapted version of the original recipe, which called for a repulsive amount of shortening! Ew, ew!
So you could probably alter your recipe, as well, if you love everything else about it.

[JHolcomb]

I'm anti shortening because of the hydrogenated stuff, the fact that it's processed as heck and because I swear it leaves a greasy film in my mouth. Also, it tastes not very good in cookies and cakes (to me, anyhow). Well, maybe not not very good, but butter tastes so much better and may have saturated fats but at least they're not hydrogenated. I do use half butter half shortening in my pie crusts, though if I could find "real" lard (not the new fangled hydrogenated kind), I'd use that over shortening in a heartbeat. So it's a health and taste thing. I don't know why I haven't experimented with my recipe before...I guess everyone liked it so much I was afraid to mess with perfection-though I don't care much for it because I swear I can feel the shortening in my mouth and dreadfully miss the butter flavor.


Emily, where do you find light butter (in the butter section right :p)? I just don't know what brand I should be looking out for. I'm totally one of those people that can stand in front of a product for 10 minutes and if I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, I'll miss it every time.

[emilycat]

Jen, I use Land O' Lakes light butter -- yep, it's with the butter. ;)
Butter's the main ingredient, but it also contains water, some tapioca substance, and something other starch.
Not entirely natural (like real butter), but it's way, way better than shortening, which is vile in my mind because, what is it, really? Ew!

[BlueMoose]

It's funny how we all think different things are vile. I certainly wouldn't want to eat shortening plain or anything:eek: but it's just hydrogenated vegetable oil, and I don't have a problem using it ocassionally. Lard, on the other hand, absolutely turns my stomach. I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole.

[claire797]

Originally posted by BlueMoose
It's funny how we all think different things are vile. I certainly wouldn't want to eat shortening plain or anything:eek: but it's just hydrogenated vegetable oil, and I don't have a problem using it ocassionally. Lard, on the other hand, absolutely turns my stomach. I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole.


Agreed. Lard is disgusting. You could save a lot of money by using it though. It's only about 70 cents a pack. JHolcomb, you could find it in the baking aisle next to the shortening.

I don't like the touch and feel of shortening, but it really improves the texture of some baked goods and it is no worse for you than butter or margarine -- at least, I don't think. They keep going back and forth. I used the shortening sticks. That way I don't have to touch it or scoop it.

[katygirl]

Emily,

I'm just curious-How much shortening did the original cookies call for?

Katy

[JHolcomb]

I think my recipe called for a whole cup. I've gotta dig that one up...it's on a loose sheet of paper and I've been meaning to transfer it to mastercook before I lose it.


And I know you can buy lard in the grocery store, but it's not the same as real, old fashioned lard (no, really). It's all hydrogenated and stuff, I guess to extend shelf life (like PB, maybe, you know how you have to refridgerate the "natural" kind). That's what my grandma says, anyway, that the stuff they have now isn't "real" lard. At least that's what the g-ma says, but then again, she's always been a little off... And I would ONLY use it in piecrust because it's an heirloom recipe.


But as my friend Ben said when I found out my grandma made her piecrust with lard (I was a vegetarian at the time). "Well, if it's the piecrusts that you love, then praise the lard." Praise the lard, indeed.