I'll Be Back In A Snap

This may be my last post ever....on this site. Madaket Market is growing, moving and changing! I hesitated making the change during the most festive, crafty and food-centered season of the year, but there is no turning back now. Look on the bright side, 2011 will be a blank canvas for fresh cooking and homemaking inspiration. So in the meantime, while I continue to work behind the scenes, I encourage you to bake the gingersnaps below and master your favorite recipes. The new blog may have a place guest cooks and recipes!

On to the good stuff- Gingersnaps! All the credit goes to Colleen for bringing these into my life. She recently broke into my house and left a batch in the kitchen. 27 batches later, I couldn't help but share this divine recipe.

Side note- We had a false alarm this week with a happy ending. Gammy's original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of baking SODA. Colleen accidentally has used baking POWDER. Turns out they are both fab! So Merry Christmas-

GINGERSNAPS A LA GAMMY

(the original recipe)

You will need:

3/4 cups shortening (Crisco)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger*

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Extra sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream shortening and sugar until mixed and fluffy.

Add eggs and molasses and mix well.

Add dry ingredients.

Mix LIGHTLY in the mixer or to be safe, mix together gently with a wooden spoon.

Roll spicy dough into balls.

Swirl around in a bowl full of sugar to coat well.

Place gingery balls on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes for chewy snaps and 12 minutes for drier/crunchy snaps.

Cream shortening and sugar until mixed and fluffy.

Add eggs and molasses. Mix well.

Add dry ingredients. Mix LIGHTLY in the mixer or to be safe, mix together gently with a wooden spoon.

Roll spicy dough into balls. Swirl dough balls around in a bowl full of sugar. Place dough on a cookie sheet.

For chewy snaps, bake 10 minutes and for drier/crunchy snaps bake 12 minutes.

*Try 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger instead of dried ground ginger if you have on hand!

Merry Christmas!

Old Fashioned Charmer

Morgan and I must have consumed 1,000's of cookies worth of this batter as little girls. We made this dough all the time and it was rare to have enough dough left over to bake a cookie. It's a shame because the dough is worth baking!

EVERYTHING COOKIES

You will need:

2 sticks butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups oatmeal

2 cups Wheaties

1 package (6 ounces) chocolate chips

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 small box of dates

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer.

Beat in eggs.

Blend in dry ingredients and cereals

Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and dates.

Drop by a spoon onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.