Grandma Sauer’s Molasses Cookies . . .

This month’s cookie is a throw back to our childhood days at the Sauer household.  We grew up on these molasses cookies, our dad’s favorite, and a recipe handed down from his mother-Grandma Sauer.  I think this is probably one of the first cookies that I learned to bake, and oddly enough, would sell, Saturday afternoons from my little cart table that I would haul down to the corner, in hopes that I would make enough money to buy some penny candy from the local corner store.  So we thought we would share this family cookie recipe with you.

I’ve noticed over the years, that everyone in our family makes them a bit different.  Some melt their butter, others don’t, some just form balls and bake them whole, while others flatten them with forks and then bake, but each version turns out a bit different.  My grandmother’s were by far the “gold standard”, plump and chewy, light in crumb and color, and were what we all tried to achieve.  One difference with her recipe was that she used shortening instead of butter, not surprising since she grew up in the depression, and this is by far the biggest difference between her version and ours. Here at Sablétine we use good old butter, and lots of it.  Our version is chewy and light, and not too sweet.  Come in and check them out or try baking of a batch at home.

Grandma Sauer’s Molasses Cookies:

3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup fancy molasses

1 egg

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt butter, and let cool to room temperature.  Then mix melted butter, sugar and whip with a paddle attachment until combined, add egg, and whip until light and fluffy.  Slowly add molasses.  In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients.  Then slowly add to wet, do not over mix.  Once combined, chill 1hour in fridge.  Scoop into small balls, roll in white sugar, place on baking tray, flatten with fork and bake 7-10 minutes.