Ginger Spice: Cookies from Aunt Bert

The perfect blend of spices and sugar, try these simple ginger cookies with molasses. A gift from my family’s recipe box.

Old Fashioned Ginger Cookie Recipe

I love a good ginger snap, but this year I was contemplating the most beloved soft molasses cookie and I decided to combine the two. So, may I present a soft, ginger and spice cookie with frosting or without.

Over half the population of my house is under eleven so we do any cookies we can with frosting and sprinkles.

Ginger Spice Cookies

Homestead Lady

A rich, soft combination of molasses and ginger snap cookies. Can frost or leave plain. Made with wholesome ingredients.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Cooling Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Healthy Recipes

Cuisine Dessert

Servings 2 dozen

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Organic Cane Sugar - you can also use rapadura or succanat
• 1/2 cup Unsulphured Molasses
• 1 fresh Egg
• 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup Organic Baking Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp each Cinnamon and Ginger
• 1/4 tsp White or Black Pepper
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 400°F/204°C.
• Cream the butter and the sugar. Mix in the molasses and egg.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and spices.
• Add the dry to the wet and mix until you have a workable dough. You can add flour, a tablespoon at a time, if your dough is too wet.
• Roll out dough on a floured board; or you can roll out on a silicone mat, lightly floured.*
• Use your favorite cookie cutters to make shapes and then place the cookies on a cookie sheet with a silicone mat.
• If you roll your dough to about 1/8", bake for 5-7 minutes. If you'd prefer a thicker cookie, roll out to 1/4" and bake for 9-10 minutes.
  

Notes

These are good plain but if you'd like them frosted, I suggest cream cheese frosting or a rich buttercream.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Ginger Cookie Frosting

For frosting ideas, here’s a Paleo “buttercream” from Swiss Paleo.

Here’s a GAPS version. Or, if your tummy can handle it, here’s a classic buttercream frosting.

If you need to know how to make your own powdered sugar, just visit our post on making your own baking supplies.

The one thing I will say about making frosting is, add your liquid slowly. It’s easier to soften up frosting than to fix a runny mess.

These sprinkles you see in the pictures came from India Tree and they come without yucky dyes and really gross additives.

Great Aunt Bert

Great Aunt Bertha. That’s how she was referred to and it didn’t matter which relation was talking about her. If you were in a hurry, Aunt Bert. Great Aunt Bertha, my paternal grandfather’s aunt, is one of those spunky ladies that hang from my family tree like dignified, hilarious and powerful chimpanzees.

One thing I remember in particular about Aunt Bert was that every year she’d send tins of entirely inedible ginger snaps. Along with those came long, newsie letters detailing the lives of people that nobody in the family knew. Aunt Bert would write on and on as if everyone knew whom she was talking about, but the letters never made much sense.

Family is What Matters Most

What did come through was the affection she had for her family. When I think back to those times of no internet and no cell phones, I realize how easy we have it these days in keeping up relationships with people who are far away. What would the pioneers have given for Skype?!!

My great, great aunt’s spice cookies may have been inedible. But, they were individually packaged in tins and lovingly wrapped for shipping. Each nonsensical letter was written and addressed by hand. Whenever I make a ginger cookie, snap or soft, I think of her and how she administered to her family. And I chuckle.

If homemade gifts, holiday traditions and fun things to do with your family are on your To-Do list this season, get your copy of our newest book, Homestead Holidays! This book will take you all around the calendar year on the homestead with traditions from around the world, recipes, crafts, and so much more. Presented on three different levels of holiday commitment, you can choose to just try our suggestions, or follow the instructions for an all-out celebration!