Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Stratford Hall Ginger Cookies




Updated and Revised November 2021


These cookies have been a family favorite for many, many years. They were always baked around the holidays, and I used to look forward to the smell of them baking ... nothing beats that delicious smell of molasses, ginger, and cloves. Delicious, soft and chewy!


My mother originally began making these in the 1980's after she toured Stratford Hall, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the home of four generations of the Lee family of Virginia, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence. 
It is also the birthplace of Robert Edward Lee (1807–70), who commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War, and then became the president of Washington College, which later became Washington and Lee University.


RECIPE
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon clove
granulated sugar used to coat cookies

Method
In a large mixing bowl, combine melted butter, molasses, sugar and eggs beating well.

Sift together flour, baking soda and spices.  Add this to the melted butter, molasses, sugar and egg mixture, beating well.

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.

Take small sections of dough out at a time, keeping the rest refrigerated, and roll pieces of  it into small 1" balls, then roll balls in granulated sugar. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place on prepared baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray, or lined with parchment paper.

Bake in 350 oven 8-10 minutes or until slightly firm and well browned.

Yield:  5 dozen cookies

Cook's Note - the dough and the cookies both freeze well.

Also seen on Weekend Potluck

Enjoy,

Mary

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