Old Fashioned Ginger Strips

Good Monday morning to you all.  I hope that everyone is close to being ready for Christmas.  Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to read my blog.  I hope that the information that I post here is useful.

This a cookie that I make every Christmas since I have found it.  It is one of my hubby’s favorites.  The cookies have a nice mildly spiced flavor, and the recipe makes quite a lot of cookies quickly and easily.  Although the recipe include a glaze, the cookies are brushed with water and sprinkled with sugar so the glaze can be omitted if time is an issue.

The recipe comes from Pillsbury Festive  Holiday Recipes, 1981.  It is another of those little grocery store cookbooks.  Yes, I have way too many of them.

These cookie spread quite a lot so only put two rolls on a cookie sheet. Below are photos to show how much the cookies spread.  The rolls were laid the length of the baking sheet, although the photos seem to suggest otherwise. 

Cookies ready to bake, rolls are about 1 1/2-inches wide.

Baked cookies before cutting, see how much they spread.

  
Old Fashioned Ginger Strips
3/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses  (grease your measuring cup for easy removal)
2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. ginger

Combine butter, sugar, egg, and molasses in a large bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  In another bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Mix well.  Stir into butter/sugar mixture.  Blend thoroughly.  Divide dough into 6 equal portions.  Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil or parchment paper.  Shape each portion of dough into a 12-inch roll, placing roll lengthwise on baking sheet.  Place only two rolls at a time on each baking sheet.  Flatten the rolls slightly to a width of about 1 1/2-2 inches and about 1/4-inch thick.  Brush rolls with water and sprinkle lightly with sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes,or until golden brown.  Remove pans from oven.  With a table knife make diagonal indentations at about 3/4-inch intervals almost all the way through the cookies.  Leave in pan to cool completely.   Drizzle glaze over cookies, if using. Allow to set.  Cut through the cookies at the indentations.  Makes about 64 bars.

Glaze
3/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted or put through a sieve
1 T. butter or margarine, very soft
1 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and beat until smooth.  If needed, add a few more drops of milk to make a glaze consistency.

Linking to:  Making Monday Marvelous
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Marvelous Mess Monday
Inspire Me Monday
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