The Beautiful Color Orange!

Okay, so I should warn you, there will be orange children wandering around my house for a few days.  There is really no escaping the orange goodness of Thanksgiving!  With butternut squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes on the menu, my children are going to be full of carotene, therefore, I won't be surprised when they take on a slight orange hue! I can remember when my friend had her first baby.  He loved orange veggies and who doesn't? With the deliciousness of each one, this kid ate at least one orange veggie a day.  Well about two weeks in, we started noticing that Tyler was turning orange!  We had no idea why and so my friend called her pediatrician and took him in.  We still laugh about how the doctor had to explain to her that the carotene in the veggies was turning Tyler orange. So to start the holiday off on a good foot, my daughter asked for pumpkin oatmeal bake this morning.  So here we go...off to turning orange with a delicious and healthy oatmeal bake!  Then tomorrow we are going to have a delicious pumpkin pie!  Ohhhh, this time of year makes me so happy!  

Pumpkin is a beautiful fruit (yes, I said fruit.)  It is so versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.  I have to admit, I don't make anything pumpkin without cinnamon.  To me they are a married pair.  You can make many beautiful soups and stews with cinnamon as an ingredient, however, for the majority of us, pumpkin is usually found in more sweet dishes then anything else.  

I use pumpkin all of the time in breakfast dishes.  I have made delicious pumpkin donuts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin oatmeal cups (and bakes), and pumpkin pancakes.  I was just on Pinterest recently and found a pumpkin French toast bake that I am dying to try!  So, pumpkin is popular in our house! 

In addition to breakfast, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin cupcakes have graced our kitchen as well.  And of course, the most popular of all...the pumpkin pie! 

Today I am going to share two of my favorite pumpkin recipes; pumpkin pie and pumpkin oatmeal bake.  These recipes are so easy and you can use either fresh or canned pumpkin to make them.  Not only are these recipes absolutely divine, but they are also extremely affordable! 

Fun Fact #1  Did you know that most commercially sold packed pumpkin is actually a combination of butternut squash and fresh pumpkin?  Butternut squash has a beautiful, smooth texture and is sweeter than pumpkin.  The color is undeniable!  This is why fresh pumpkin is light orange and packed pumpkin is dark.  Why does it say 100% pumpkin on the can?  Because, the USDA considers all squash (including pumpkins) to be in the same family, therefore, companies don't have to disclose the different types of squash in the ingredients.  Weird right?  

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bake- Serves 4-6

3 cups whole, rolled oats
2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

Directions- Lightly spray an 11 x 7 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients.  Mix well to combine everything evenly.  Pour into prepared baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.  Serve immediately. 

Yummy goodness before baking photo!

 

Oh so good!  Full of pumpkin and cinnamon.  This is sure to be a recipe your family will love! 

 

 

 

 

Original Pumpkin Pie- Serves 6-8

 

 

2 cups of fresh pumpkin or 1 can of packed pumpkin puree (15 oz.)

1 can of evaporated milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

 

Directions-

Preheat oven to 425

Roll out pie crust and line one 9 inch pie pan.  Set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, sugar,spices, eggs, and salt.  Mix well.  Using a whisk, slowly pour in the evaporated milk.  Whisk until the milk is combined and the custard is smooth and creamy.  Pour batter into the prepared pie crust.  Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean.  To ensure that the crust doesn't get over baked, you can lightly cover the crust with foil or use a pie shield. 

Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours. I allow it to set for more than that...it comes out better if I leave it for at least 4 hours. 

 

***Notes- I always brush the crust with egg to get a nice golden color.***

 

I will be taking pictures to add to this post today as I bake my pumpkin pie for tomorrow.  If you have any questions about the crust or the filling, please ask...I will try to look several times today and tomorrow as people are cooking and baking to answer as many of them as I can.

 

I hope that you are enjoying your holiday preparations!

 

Blessings to all!

 

  

 

Perfectly Easy Sausage Stuffing

The first time that I tasted this stuffing was about 10 years ago at my sister's house.  Up until then, I didn't think that I liked stuffing that had, well, stuff in it.  You see, my mother used to make the Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing cubes with just water and butter in it.  She didn't add any seasonings, celery, or onion to it, let alone sausage.  To this day, I am not really sure why.  I assume that it was because that is how she liked it.  My sister had us over for Christmas and she made this recipe.  Well, I fell in love!  I really do like the "stuff" in stuffing! 

She gave me the recipe and for the last 9 years, this stuffing has graced our table every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It is delicious and super easy!  It bakes up soft and moist, and when I put it on the table, you would never believe that it wasn't baked in the turkey! 

Here's what you'll need to make this fabulous stuffing yourself:

1 12 oz. bag of seasoned cubed stuffing mix
1 12 oz. pork sausage, cooked and crumbled (comes in a roll)
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stick of butter (I would not recommend subbing margarine for this, you can...but the flavor and texture aren't the same.)
2 full cans of chicken or turkey broth. (plus extra if needed)
1/2 tsp. dried sage

Directions-
1. Melt the butter in a large sized frying pan.  Add the onions and celery and cook on medium until the veggies are tender, stirring often so that the onions don't over cook.  Add the broth and cook until the contents of the pan are boiling.  Turn off the heat. 

2.  Grease a 9 x 13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.  Directly in the baking dish, combine the cooked sausage, sage, and the stuffing cubes.  Carefully, pour the hot liquid and veggies into the dish.  Stir everything to combine, making sure to reach all of the cubes in the corners of the dish.  Cover with foil.  Leave the dish on the counter for about 15-30 minutes so that the cubes can absorb all of the yummy liquid.  This is what makes this dish so soft and moist.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees until the stuffing is heated through.  Serve immediately.


I love to make this stuffing ahead, but you can make it the day of as well.  Because I make it the day before Thanksgiving, I usually add extra broth to it just before I bake it.  

In addition to your Thanksgiving feast, this stuffing is delish the next day on a sandwich with turkey and gravy.  Yum Yum!

Blessings to all!

Saving on your Thanksgiving feast this year!

                                            

     Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year.  It is full of family gatherings and great food!  But what defines great food?  Here in our house, great food is not defined by which grocery store I shop in, or by expensive ingredients like fresh sage and Brie cheese.  It is defined by how we share it with our closest friends and family. 
     When I was young, my parents had a limited income, and yet every year, we had a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner.  To make it special, my mother would pull out her best china and we would set a beautiful table.  She made a pumpkin pie every year, and sometimes an apple pie, if she had time.  She would also make a Jello mold that would have some sort of fruit cocktail in it.  We loved it!  We had a turkey, stuffing, and potatoes with squash, green beans, and rolls.  This meal was special every year and it didn't come with a table of appetizers, alcoholic beverages, or expensive centerpieces.  What I'm trying to say, is that you don't have to go out of your way (or your budget) to have a beautiful Thanksgiving day, the memories are going to be as special as you make them.  Simple is the key. 
     Today and tomorrow, I am going to give you a rundown of what I am serving for dinner on Thursday.  I will give you recipes and tips for each dish.  I am going to apologize up front because there won't be time for me to take pictures until Thursday when I actually serve the food.  If you have any questions about preparing the turkey, stuffing, or pies, please feel free to leave a comment.  I will try to check back often over the next few days to help out.
    So, here is what I have on the menu and how much I paid for everything.  I have 10 people coming for dinner, so I will break down the cost per person for you as well.  As you know, I try to keep everything at a minimal cost so that we can enjoy a wonderful meal, without breaking our budget!

Turkey- 16 pounds $7.50 (I got a great deal at Wegman's $0.48 per pound with a $25.00 purchase)
Potatoes- 5 lb. bag for $1.49 (white potatoes)
Butternut Squash- 5 lb. (2 large) $.99/ pound, $5.69
Yams- 2 lbs. $.39/pound- $0.78
Apples- 5 lb. Empire apples- $5.99 ( I will only use 7 apples in this bag which is just about 2.5 pounds so the cost is about $2.75)
Frozen green beans- $.99
Heavy cream- 1 qt. $4.99 (I will only use 1 cup to make whipped cream, so that is a total of $1.25)
Butter- 1 lb. (Walmart 2 lb. pack is $5.69 right now) $2.88
Pumpkin puree (I have some frozen in the freezer that I made from a fresh pumpkin, but you can get the puree at Aldi for about $. 89 a can.) 
Flour- 5 lb. bag at Wegman's $1.29
Sugar- 4 lb. bag at Wegman's $1.79
Milk- 1 gallon 2% at Wegman's is $2.18
Stuffing- Arnold seasoned cubed stuffing- $2.50
I roll of pork sausage- Wegman's 2.50
! small bunch of celery- Wegman's $.69
1 bunch of sweet onions- Walmart $2.99
4 cans of chicken broth- Wegman's brand $.50 each- $2.00

The rest of the ingredients I need are in my pantry, these include: brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sage seasonings)  I try to keep my costs for Thanksgiving to $40 or less.  It could be cheaper if I left out a few things, but since it is just once a year and I usually serve my in-laws, I splurge a bit.  My total for this year was $39.27.  That is just $3.92 a person.  That, I am grateful to say, is less than what it costs for a six piece chicken nugget happy meal at McDonalds and it includes dessert!

** Something important to remember is that you don't have to purchase the larger container. For example, I purchase a quart of heavy cream.  I know that I'll use that in other recipes this week, but you can purchase it by the half pint and pint for less than what I paid for it.  The same with the apples, if you don't have $5.99 to spend for a 5 lb. bag, you can buy them by the pound.  This time of year you can usually find them for $.99 per pound.  When I did my calculations, I only added in the cost for what I am going to use for Thanksgiving dinner, so if you were to add based on what I spent, the total would be a bit more.  Hope that this isn't too confusing!**

Now I am going to walk you through cooking that big ole' turkey!  It is not nearly as intimidating as it may seem! 

Easy Turkey Cooking Instructions-

We don't fry our turkey for Thanksgiving, I have a counter top oven (that I love!) and it comes out perfectly every time! 

My turkey is 16 pounds, and so the cooking time is approximately 15-20 minutes per pound.  For health and safety reasons I choose not to stuff the bird before cooking.  If you want to stuff it, it will take longer to cook.  Remember, the stuffing and bird have to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees to be safe.  Don't rely on a pop up turkey timer, especially when you have stuffed the bird first. 

Okay, so what do you do?  First you need to remove the turkey and all of the bags (I know, gross right?) containing the liver, neck, and other internal organs.  Thoroughly rinse the turkey in a clean sink and away from clean dishes (I move my dish drainer and all of my washing utensils before I rinse the turkey to ensure that there isn't any cross contamination.)  Dry the turkey with paper towels as best as you can.  Melt 1/4 cup of butter in  the microwave or on the stove.  Cut up two whole onions and the leaves of 5 stalks of celery.  Stuff the cavity with the onion and celery and sprinkle the inside generously with sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Brush the melted butter on the outside of the bird.  Sprinkle the top with more thyme, salt, and pepper. 

Cover the turkey lightly with foil (This is not necessary if you are roasting on the counter like me)  Cook at 325 degrees for about 15-20 minutes per pound ( for me, this would be about 4 hours.)  30 minutes before the turkey is set to come out, remove the foil and turn up the heat on your oven to 375 degrees.  This will give your turkey that nice golden color and crisp up the skin.  Once your turkey is at the correct temperature (around 160 degrees) pull it from the oven and tent it with foil.  Allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.  It will continue to cook and should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Remember that the cooking time will vary based on the size of the turkey, so please be mindful and if you haven't invested in a meat thermometer, I would recommend getting one today.  It will help to keep you and your family safe.  If you have questions about how to use it, check out some great videos on YouTube...they can show you exactly where to measure the temperature on your turkey.

I hope that you found this post helpful!  If you have any tips or tricks to share about how you prepare your turkey on Thanksgiving, please share them with us!  I am always looking for new ideas!

Blessings to all!

Kim
    
    

Award Winning Apple Pie!!

     The public library held it's 2nd Annual Pie Bake Off today and I nervously prepared my Crumb Topped Apple pie to enter.  Having never entered any competitions in the past, I had absolutely no idea what the judges would be looking for or what my competition would look like.  I hurriedly baked the pie this morning and took it straight from the oven to the library.  I had to pick up my son from school on the way and I wasn't trying to get the pie to the competition on time.  As I carried it into the library, I was shaking a bit because I was soooooo nervous!  After entering the room where the contest was taking place, I realized that there was some real competition.  The pies were so beautiful and mine was pretty, but not as nicely done as some of the others...you could tell that they had been lovingly made. 
     We had been told that they would be serving pie starting at 2 pm, so Adam and I left with the promise of returning for a taste of some of those scrumptious pies (Adam wanted the pumpkin pie so badly that he talked about it for two hours after we left!)  Just as we were about to get ready to head back to the library, I got the phone call that my pie was the winner!  I was completely shocked and delighted that the judges had chosen my pie. 
    So now, I can change the name of my pie to an award winning apple pie!  I truly hope that you will find this recipe just as delicious! 

 

The pie that I made for this contest was made using my perfect pie crust, apple pie filling, and crumb topping.  Check out those recipes right here...

http://mymamascheap.blogspot.com/2015/11/apple-pie-filling.html?spref=pi

http://mymamascheap.blogspot.com/2015/11/perfect-pie-crust.html?spref=pi

 

 

I hope that you are having a marvelous Monday!

 

 

Apple Pie Filling

    

There isn't a single person in our house that doesn't love my apple pie.  My children all rave about it and I think it's pretty good too!  I have been making apple pie since I was able to use an oven.  My mother only really made apple pie at Thanksgiving, but I make it several times during the fall because my family loves it so much! 
     The best part of making this pie is watching my kids as they "sneak" into the kitchen while I'm peeling apples.  They all think that I won't notice their little hands as they sneak apple peels from my "garbage" bowl on the counter (I peel the apples into a bowl rather than into the garbage can so that my kids can indulge in the yummy goodness of the apple skins.)  They all giggle when I pretend to swat them away. 
     I am very meticulous about how I cut the apples, so for me, this isn't a quick process.  I do have a do hickey that peels and cuts the apples for me, but clean up is a pain, and I feel that I am not able to control the quality of my product the way that I like.  I prefer to work each apple individually, and I carefully cut away the core and all of the bits that could be hard from the apple.  I slice the apples into thin slices with a really sharp knife.  This helps me to cut most of the slices with the same thickness.
     I like a very simple apple pie, there are really no frills or special seasonings.  I use cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, flour, and lemon juice.  That's it!  I like the taste of the apples, so I try not to cover it up too much.  Today, as I made this pie, I thought about my children and the memories that they will have of me making pies.  They often crowd around the counter (we have a peninsula) and watch me as I roll out the dough and place it in the pie plate, and like little scavengers, they compete for all of the scraps that are left on the counter.  I love that they will have these fun memories to take with them as they grow! 

The aroma that filled my house this afternoon was so heavenly!  The cinnamon and nutmeg enveloped the kitchen and wafted around the entire house!  Another reason why I love the fall season! 

To get started, all you need are 6-8 medium sized apples.  For today's pie, I used Cortland, but you can use Gala, Empire, Ginger Gold, or any combination of these.  I prefer not to use Macintosh apples because their flesh is really soft and they don't hold up well in the pie. 
After you slice them, you need to add the lemon juice, flour sugar, and spices.   Mix the apples well and make sure that all of the apples are coated.  Set them aside.

 

Roll the pie crust out and carefully place in your pie plate.  For this pie, I made a crumbly topping, but you can roll out another crust and use for the top if you prefer.  Fill your crust with the apple filling, making sure to scrap out all of the yummy juice.  Cover your pie (cut vents in the top if covering with additional crust) and bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Turn the oven down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden and the pie is bubbling.  Cool completely or serve warm (with ice cream for an extra treat!) 

 

 

I promise you, this pie is amazing!  As I am sitting here writing this, my mouth is watering and I already had a piece!  I could sneak a little bite...all of my kids are sleeping and no one would ever know...right? 

 

 

Below is the recipe for both the filling and the crumb topping that I used for this pie.  I hope that your family loves it! 

 

Apple Pie Filling- Makes one pie

 

6-8 Medium apples, peeled and sliced thin (Approximately 3 pounds)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. flour

 

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring well to coat evenly.  Fill a prepared pie crust.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes and 350 for an additional 45 minutes. 

Cool completely or serve warm.

 

Crumb Topping- Makes one pie

 

1/4 cup cold butter

6 tbsp. flour

4 tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

 

Cut the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.  Spread evenly over the pie. 

 

The cost to make this pie was approximately $4.25 and feeds 8 people (generously...if you're serving kids it could feed a few more.)  That means that this pie is about $0.53 per person!  Super affordable. 

 

Do you have a family recipe that you would like to share?  If so, please leave it in the comments...I am always looking for new ideas!

 

Blessings to All!

 

 

 

 

 



Perfect Pie Crust

It's November and we can't very well go into the holiday season without talking about pies.  Yummy, delicious, warm apple and pumpkin pies.  It took so many years for me to get just the right recipe for pies.  I have tried them all...all butter, all shortening, half butter, half shortening, I have even tried recipes with vinegar in them.  I have watched some videos on YouTube and followed a few tutorials, and after all of my research, I have finally reached the perfect pie crust for me. 

There are many people who think that making their own pie crust is too hard, or too much work, but I am here to tell you that making your own is easy and doesn't take that much time.  I have tried to use those sold in the store and if you take a taste before the crust is baked, it is, in my opinion, the nastiest tasting stuff.  It is like cardboard...not something that I would recommend using.  Making a crust may take a little more effort, but I promise you, you won't be sorry. 

My children love it when I bake a pie.  I make both savory and sweet pies, as chicken pot pie is one of children's favorite meals.   Today, I am going to bake a pot pie using the recipe that the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummand, has on her blog for chicken pot pie.  I love the way that her chicken filling tastes in a pot pie.  She only uses one pie crust, but in our family, we prefer a top and a bottom.  I also add other ingredients to the filling, such as veggies like peas and carrots. If you go to Pinterest and search for her, you should be able to find her recipe pretty quickly. 

I use my own pie crust recipe, which has become my favorite.  It is so easy and quick, you can have dinner on the table in no time.  I will do my best to describe each step so that you can duplicate it for yourself. 

First you will need to gather all of your ingredients- who's coming to the party?  Flour, salt, cold butter, cold shortening, and ice water. 

After gathering your ingredients, you will need a cheese grater and a pastry cutter (with some good old fashioned elbow grease), a large bowl, a fork, and some plastic wrap. 

                         In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Grate the butter and add the
                         shortening in small amounts.  Cut the butter and shortening in with the
                                                                         pastry cutter. 
        Add the water a little at a time and work it into the flour with a fork.  When the dough
          begins to come together, you can put the fork down and work it with your hands. 
            Work the dough into a ball and then wrap it tightly with the plastic wrap and chill.

  Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.  After chilling, cut the dough in half and roll it out onto a                                                             lightly floured surface.

This pot pie is a two crust pie with the plate lined on the bottom.  Fill the crust with the filling and line the second half on top.  Carefully cut the edge so that both the bottom and the top are about 1/2 an inch bigger than the pie plate.  Pinch the top and the bottom together to seal.  Flute the sides   using a fork or your fingers.  Crack an egg into a small bowl and whisk.  Brush the crust with the egg.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 45 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Allow the pie to rest for about 10 minutes and then serve.  This pie crust is delicious!   My kids love to eat it raw!  (I do too!)  Whenever I bake a pie, my children are never far away, and they usually clear up most of the scraps before I get a chance to make them into the yummy cinnamon sticks that my mother used to make for us as kids. 

 

This pie is so delicious!  The crust is light and flaky! 

 

I am going to be entering a pie contest this month and I will be using this crust!  I am so excited because I have never entered any contests before.  I really hope that the judges like it. 
I'll let you know how everything goes!

 

Do you have a pie crust recipe or method that you think is the best?  Please feel free to share!

 

 

Pie Crust- Makes 1 whole pie (top and bottom)

 

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

1 stick of cold butter

1/2 cup cold shortening

6-8 tbsp. ice cold water.

 

 

Directions-

Grate the butter onto a cutting board.  In a large bowl, combine the flour and the salt.  Add the shortening and the butter and cut in with a pastry cutter until the texture resembles course sand.

Add the water a little at a time, and blend in using a fork until the dough begins to come together.  Put the fork down and work the rest of the flour into the dough with your hands, making a ball.  Carefully wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. 

 

After chilling, cut the dough in half and roll out each onto a lightly floured surface.  Carefully lift and place into the prepared pie plate.  Fill the crust with the filling of your choice and top with the second layer.  Make sure to cut a vent into the top of the crust.  Bake the pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 and continue baking for an hour or until the crust is golden brown. 

 

 

This recipe can be easily divided by 2 to make a one crust pie. 

 

 

Tomorrow, I will let you in on my apple and cherry pie filling recipes.  They are delicious and well worth the effort! 

 

Enjoy!

 

Blessings to All!

 



A Busy Fall

Okay, so I really want to know what happened to the month of October!  I was a busy worker bee and got a lot of fun projects done around the house.  This was great for my house...but not so good for you and the blog.  As November begins, on a beautiful (and strangely warm) day, I am ready to share some of my frugal tips and tricks for getting through the holidays on a budget. 

 

As many of you know, I have four children, and having a large family means that we have to live very carefully within our budget, especially while I am looking for work.  To do so doesn't mean that we sacrifice doing fun things as a family, or enjoying birthdays, or even having a night out to dinner every now and then. 

 

Speaking of birthdays, my youngest just turned 5 last month!  Oh my goodness...this makes me incredibly sad and overwhelming happy at the same time!  I love that he is growing and changing into a remarkable and loving little boy, but now he is not my little baby anymore. We celebrated by giving him the Batman birthday party that he asked for.  He was so excited! 

 

Now, it is time to get to work preparing for the holiday season! 

Yes, I said it...the holidays are coming. 

I am totally smiling as I am writing this because I love the holidays!  Thanksgiving and Christmas bring our families and friends together.  We share food and laughter, we share memories, and more than anything, we share joy and love. 

My contribution to the festivities is usually food. 

For the next few weeks, I am going to share some of my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving.

In December, I will share some of my very best cookie, candy, and fudge recipes. 

Being frugal helps us to enjoy the holidays for what they really are, a time to spread love and happiness to those around us. 

 

To get started, I decided to share a cookie recipe today that my family loves! 

These Molasses cookies came from my mother.  I grew up making them and now I share them with my own children.  They are soft and chewy, not hard and crunchy like most Molasses cookies. 

Baking these is a special treat for my children as they are delightfully spicy and fun to eat!

I hope that you take the time to bake these cookies, pour a glass of milk, and then sit and enjoy them with your family.  You won't be sorry!

 

 

Molasses Cookies (Makes approximately 3 dozen)

 

Here is what you'll need:

 

3/4 cup soft shortening

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ginger

 

 

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and shortening until creamy and smooth.

Add the egg and beat until soft and smooth.  Add the molasses, and the spices and mix well, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go. 

 

 



 

Add the flour, one cup at a time, until it is just combined. 

 

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.

 

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and dip in sugar.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until the cookies are slightly cracked and just lightly brown around the edges.  (Do not over bake unless you want the texture to be closer to a ginger snap.)

 

Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for just a few minutes to set, then cool completely on a wire baking rack.  Store in an airtight container. 

 

I truly hope that your fall has been as glorious as ours! 

 

I would love to know what your holiday traditions are! 

Please feel free to share them here! 

 

Thank you for your patience during this very busy time of year!

 

Blessings to All!

Kim