Molasses Spice Cutouts Recipes

MOLASSES SPICE CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar; beat in molasses and coffee. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to molasses mixture and mix well. Chill dough 1-2 hours or until easy to handle. If needed, add a little additional flour before rolling. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with holiday cutters dipped in flour. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire racks. , For icing if desired combine gelatin and water in a small saucepan. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften. Add sugar. Heat and stir over very low heat until the gelatin and sugar dissolve. Transfer to a bowl. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until foamy. Add baking powder and vanilla; beat until very thick, about 10 minutes. , Frost cookies by inverting them and quickly swirling the tops in the icing; decorate with colored sugar. For traditional gingerbread men, use decorator icing to add features as desired.

FAVORITE MOLASSES CUT-OUTS

Steps:

• Combine butter, sugar, molasses, egg, and vinegar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
• Divide dough into thirds; wrap each in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight or until firm.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Roll out dough on surface covered with equal mixture of flour and sugar, one-third at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 4-inch cookie cutter.
• Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes or until no indention remains when touched. Let stand 1 minute. Cool completely on wire rack.
• Combine all frosting ingredients except milk and decorator sugars in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Decorate cooled cookies with frosting and decorator sugars, as desired.

SPICED CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the molasses and egg. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and cardamom; stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the orange juice. Then stir in the orange zest.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out cookies with cookie cutters, and place them on an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, edges should be slightly browned. Cool cookies on wire racks.

SOFT MOLASSES CUTOUT COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Frost or dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

MOLASSES SPICE CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and molasses, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat on low to combine.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll dough balls between the palms of your hands until smooth. Roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in the center and begin to crack, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once after 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack to cool, 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

MOLASSES SPICE LEAVES

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Finely grind walnuts in processor. Add 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar and blend to powder. Using electric mixer, cream butter with brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Mix remaining 1 3/4 cups flour with nut mixture, spices and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture (dough will be soft). Divide dough into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter heavy large cookie sheets. On heavily floured surface, roll 1 dough piece out (keep remainder refrigerated) to thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Cut out cookies using 3-inch leaf cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Repeat rolling and cutting with second dough piece. Gather scraps and chill 15 minutes. Reroll scraps and cut out more cookies. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on racks.
• Make icing:
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and egg whites until smooth.
• Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch round tip. Pipe icing atop cookies. Decorate with dragées. Let stand until icing sets. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store refrigerated between layers of waxed paper in airtight container. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

MOLASSES SPICE SPRITZ

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400º F.
• Stir together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat together margarine until smooth.
• Add molasses and brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture until all combined.
• Prepare cookie press with desired design. Fill press and place cookies two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven for about 6 minutes or until the edges are firm but not browned.
• Remove and cool completely on wire racks.