The Western New York Winter has blown in early this season. I didn’t finish all of my fall chores. The hickory tree still has lots of leaves that won’t get raked. A handful of garden beds look unruly, but the wildlife will be thankful for the shelter and perchance some scrumptious vegetation to munch on during the cold month. I’m thankful for the snow and winter. Snow always means it’s time to get cozy. I’m more inclined to burn candles, soften the rooms up with comfy blankets and turn on the stove for baking and roasting. All of our holiday decoration is complete and gifts are all bought. Now we can relax and bake cookies if we please or snuggle up with a good book.
This year we worked on a different pepparkakor recipe we found. The recipe added Orange Zest but I also added a tbsp of Orange Juice to the mix and adjusted the measurements of the spices. Instead of using cooking cutters, I opted for an antique cookie mold my mom gave me years ago, which I coveted as a child. Surprisingly the mold shape still stayed in place with the baking soda. The dough was not chilled. Next time I may leave the cookies in for an additional few minutes. Once the dough is mixed, remember to inhale deeply and savor the aroma of the dough. This cookie epitomizes the scent of Christmas. The Orange mixed with Cinnamon, Cloves and Ginger is delightful.
Stamped Holiday Spice Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb room temperature Butter
- 1-1/2 c Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tbsp Molasses
- 1-1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1-1/4 tsp ground Cloves
- 1-1/4 tsp Ginger
- 2-1/2 c Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tbsp Orange Zest
- 1 tbsp Orange Juice
Preheat oven to 350º.
Mix Butter, Sugar, Egg and Molasses.
Add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, flour, soda, orange zest and orange juice to the mixer until combined.
Shape into small balls & press down with cookie stamp.
Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.