Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Friday, October 20, 2017

Friday Finish ~ A Molasses Cookie Experiment ~ Goat Treats

I took the advice of so many thoughtful folks, and took the day off from the garden Thursday.  Totally felt guilty after seeing the weather forecast too.  Winter will roll in quick and I am far from ready.  I still took the day off.  I donned the apron instead.  And I did a little handiwork. And downed a tincture while I baked (for my swollen glands, slight sore throat).  I had my tea afterwards.

I finished a project and I never thought I would.  Especially this time of season.


I started this back before the 4th of July, and well, it's done!
I'll link up with Jill for "Friday Finish" once she has posted.

As for the cookie experiment. . .

Calling all of those who love a crispy, crunchy molasses cookies!  Do you have a tried and true recipe?

I do not.   


So I tried one (Sally's Baking Addition online - Crisp Molasses Cookies).  Only I used 1 cup Einkorn flour, and 1 cup regular (organic) all-purpose, and local sorghum molasses. The dough is refrigerated for 1 hour before you roll it.

The dough can be frozen ahead of time, or refrigerated for 2-3 days prior to making them.  You can also freeze the baked cookie of course.  These are all bonuses as we approach the holiday baking season too.




The first cookie taste test?  Crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, however delicious.  I wanted a fully crispy cookie for another recipe.



So I baked the last sheet of cookies one minute longer.   I cooled them exactly as the recipe called for as well.

Now for a cookie story.  Back when we had our dairy goats, we treated them each one gingersnap after milking was over.  We didn't put their heads in those contraptions they have on milking stands.  We simply used a long coffee table we re-purposed, put a cement block on one end and attached a feed dish.  We had them jump up on the table, hooked a thick animal leash to their collar and hand milked.  

Each goat was different.  One goat you could lean in on, the other didn't like that.  Anyway, after milking, and a full bucket, they'd get a treat - gingersnap cookie.  Often times we ran out of cookies, which we bought at the store.  I now wish I had found this recipe so many years back.  I'm not sure we could train the goats to do this in the future, but this recipe is a keeper.  Oh, and when the wethers were here, they knew where the cookies were kept, and they would jump the stall and eat them all (until we built up the stall, ha ha!)

I bet some ice cream in between two would be absolutely naughty.  Yum.  It's hard to eat just one.  Next batch, I'll use the full 2 cups of Einkorn flour and see how that compares. 

There will be a "next" batch, so I can get them in the freezer for Christmas.  I'm totally excited to find this recipe, but please share if you have one that is good and crispy.  Once I put these cookies into an airtight container they softened up again (although the family still loved them).  I guess if you need to use the crunchy type in another recipe, do it the same day.  If there are any left today, I'll freeze some for a few weeks to see how they do.

8 comments:

Yarrow said...

I read somewhere that a teaspoon of baking soda (or maybe bicarbonate) will make a crispy cookie, but also someone suggested golden syrup. I'm not a great cookie baker, so I'm not sure, but it may be of help to you.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks Yarrow. The recipe contains 1 tsp. baking soda, so maybe adding another may help too. The cookies are very good though.

Mama Pea said...

This recipe sounds a lot like my gingersnap cookie recipe. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. I know you're looking for a totally crunchy/crispy cookie so try freezing some of yours. When I freeze my gingersnaps, they become crispy all the way through . . . much to the chagrin of my husband who really hates a "hard" cookie. When I bake a batch, I save out a nice sized container (with a tight fitting lid) and store it on the counter just for him. They stay soft in the center that way.

mamasmercantile said...

Isn't it a lovely feeling to get a project finished, it looks good. I have just started to browse some cookbooks for recipes for cookies/biscuits that I can bake and freeze. I will let you know how I get on.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Thanks Mama Pea, I'm freezing a few to see what results I get.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

mamasmercantile, yes, please share if you find anything good.

Rain said...

I do not have a good recipe to share. I have never perfected the molasses cookie! Yours look great in the photo! Last year I made 10 different cookies from mid-November through to Christmas, you're getting me into a cookie mood! :)

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Rain, they are very good, and I can't just eat one. I am addicted. I hope I have time to freeze the second batch for Christmas