Soft Ginger Cookies (Recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup molasses

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

7 cups all-purpose flour

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. In a very large mixing bowl, beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add the sugar and beat until thoroughly combined.  Then add the egg and beat well.

3. Add the molasses, then the sour milk.  Stir in the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, allspice and nutmeg.  Gradually stir in the flour.  Divide the dough into thirds and wrap each piece in plastic wrap; chill thoroughly.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll one third of the dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut the dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters.

5. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet in the 375° oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until the edges are set.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Tips:

To make 1 cup sour milk, measure 1 tablespoon juice or vinegar into a 1-cup glass measure.  Add enough milk to equal 1 cup and let it stand 5 minutes before adding it to the recipe.

Either dark or light molasses can be used in this recipe.  Dark molasses is less sweet and gives a darker color and a more distinct molasses flavor than the milder flavored light molasses.

The two-part secret for success with cut-out cookies is making sure the dough is well chilled and rolling the dough out on a floured surface.  Use one-third of the dough at a time and leave the remainder refrigerated.  Using a floured pastry cloth and cloth covered rolling pin helps to reduce dough-sticking problems.

Measuring the dough thickness with a ruler makes it easier to cut cookies that well bake evenly.  If you want to bake both large and small cookies, group equal-sized cookies on separate cookie sheets so that all of the cookies on the same cookie sheet will be done at the same time.