12 Days of Baking ~ Day 5

Hold onto your hats here...this recipe has neither chocolate nor butter!  And you know what?  This is still a fabulous recipe!  I cannot even make any apologies, because I do love these cookies.  I hope you will too.  I like to do a bunch of baking and then make up plates of cookies to give to neighbors and friends.  These cookies are a great contrast to all the chocolate I typically use.  And though I shudder to think there are people who really walk this earth who do not like chocolate, I do like to give something who might please those people.  And I do shudder at the thought.  Anywho:

These cookies are great...especially for all you tea drinkers.  And they make your house smell unbelievably festive while they are baking.  If you are having a get-together of any kind, invite me, and bake these so your house smells extra Christmas-y for the occasion!  Here you go:

Ginger Crinkles

3/4 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup light-flavored molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour

Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.

In large bowl, beat together shortening and sugar on medium speed until very light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Blend in molasses and egg.  At low speed, blend in flour mixture just until combined.  Refrigerate 1 hour or more.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls (you know you should be using that cookie scoop); roll in granulated sugar.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown.  Let stand a couple minutes before removing to cooling racks.

To freeze, just put the cooled cookies into gallon zip-loc freezer bags.  They freeze nicely.  Or, you can freeze the dough.  Make them to up to the step of rolling them into balls.  Without rolling them into sugar, place on cookie sheet into the freezer.  When the dough is frozen, transfer into freezer bags.  To bake, just remove the amount you want to bake, roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet.  By the time the oven is pre-heated, they will be thawed enough to bake easily.  You may need to add an additional minute or so of baking time.

can't you almost taste that?!