The Cookie Man Makes Ginger Creams

Photo by Uncle Bob

So sometimes you've just got to have a cookie, you know? 

I've been thinking about making these for a couple of weeks -- I found and (slightly) adapted this recipe used by a now-defunct American Bed & Breakfast, the Combellack Blair House in Placerville, California.

I think they're worth making again -- so here's the recipe if you are interested!

Ginger Creams

½ cup sugar
½ cup dark molasses
¼ cup butter, softened
1 egg
½ cup hot water

2 cups flour
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cloves
2 tsp cocoa powder

2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 TB butter, softened
3 TB milk
½ tsp vanilla

• Combine the dry ingredients and spices. Mix well.  I use my fingers to crush the little clumps of cocoa that don't break down.  Crush them like little bugs and blend them in with a whisk!
• Cream the sugars, butter and egg. Mix well with a hand mixer.  Blend in the hot water.
• Add the ingredients all together. The batter will be thin.
• Drop by scant teaspoonful onto a prepared sheet ( I used Pam and it worked better than shortening), 2 inches apart.
• Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes. These cookies were done in my oven at 10-11 minutes.
• Remove from the sheet almost immediately or the cookies will be difficult to remove. This is especially important if you make them larger. Once they cool they will break apart as you try to remove them from the cookie sheet. Place on a cooling rack.
• Combine the frosting ingredients and frost the cookies when they are completely cooled.

Notes:

1. This will make 2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on how big you make them.
2. Caution – these cookies spread quite a bit while baking!
3. I made a ¾ batch of the frosting and it was enough.