Are They Done Yet? The First Crackled Molasses Sugar Cookies of the Season!



Rolling the cookies in granulated sugar

The leaves have turned colors and started to fall, the temperatures have been dropping, and we just turned the clocks back last night.  When I did my grocery shopping yesterday, instead of picking up a container of gross pastel bakery cookies slathered with frosting for the lunch boxes, I loaded up my cart with dark brown sugar, molasses, vegetable shortening, and some eggs.  Everything else we needed to make Crackled Molasses Sugar Cookies was already in our pantry.

Lars and Anders had a great day today, finishing up school work, piano, trombone and recorder practice, and choir rehearsal with plenty of time to spare.  They deserved something special, so I wrapped them up in aprons and helped Anders with the chef's hat he got way back in preschool.

These cookies need to be formed into 1 1/2" balls and then rolled in granulated sugar before baking.  I make the balls myself because if they are all different wonky sizes they won't all bake in the same amount of time, but rolling the cookie balls in the sugar is the boys' job. 

They were too cute, camped out in front of the oven the whole time the cookies were baking, squealing "They're crackling! They're crackling!"  This tells me that I do not do nearly enough baking.

Fresh From the Oven

So at least for this week, Lars and Anders will have homemade cookies in their lunch boxes and waiting for them after school. The big challenge will be overcoming the urge to snack on the cookies all day long while they're at school. I mean, there IS iron in the molasses, but these cookies aren't really appropriate as a meal replacement. Or so they tell me.