Molasses Sugar Cookies

My brother was going camping, so I made him Molasses Sugar Cookies for his care package as these cookies will ship well and do not have to be eaten the day they are baked. They were fun to make and I hope he likes them!

The dough smells like gingerbread. YUM! I rolled them twice in sugar to give them just the amount of crunch I wanted.
(I love my bunny bowl!)

Here they are, out of the oven and cooling.

Yum!

We used a version of a recipe that my grandmother gave my mom. Grandma started making these years ago and sent them off to Grandpa's submarine when he was deployed. She gave the recipe to my mom, who sent them off to my dad's submarine when he was gone. We also put them in our holiday tins we send to family and friends. Now I am sending them to Scout camp!

Grandmas' recipe was made with all shortening and Mom and I are experimenting with changing that to butter. Here is the recipe we used this time:

Molasses Sugar Cookies

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teasooon ground ginger
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and shortening. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt; add to first mixture. Mix well; chill. Form 1” balls and roll in granulated sugar. Once done, roll them all a second time. Place on greased cookie sheets 2” apart. Bake 8 – 10 minutes. Pull them out just before you think they are really done. Cool on wire racks.

And here is my brother's care package, all ready to go with the Nutella Biscotti, the Molasses Sugar Cookies and some of his other favorite treats. Let's just hope the bears don't like cookies!