Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Molasses Crinkles


If you’re looking for a Christmas cookie that’s a little different from the usual sprinkles and frosting affair, try Molasses Crinkles. This is one of Grandma Toinie’s old cookie recipes that’s been made on The Farm for a long time. –Helen Palmquist

Makes: 4 dozen
Time: 45-60 minutes

¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2¼ cups flour

1. In a mixer on high, cream the butter, sugar, and egg together.
2. Put the mixer on low, and add the molasses, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger until well combined.
3. Add the flour a little at a time until completely mixed in.
4. Chill dough for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Once the dough is chilled, roll it into walnut-sized balls.

Topper:

white sugar

7. Coat each ball evenly in white sugar.

8. Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet and bake 9-12 minutes.

posted by Palmquist Farm at 12:08 PM0 comments

Wednesday, December 09, 2015

Grandma’s Christmas Sugar Cookies


This recipe is another old one that’s been around The Farm forever. It’s written on a plain piece of paper in grandma’s handwriting. I have another older version written in great grandma’s handwriting. I pull this recipe out every Christmas. Enjoy! --Helen Palmquist  

Makes: 6 dozen
Time: 3 hours

1 cup butter, softened 
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons milk
3 cups flour

1. In a mixer on high, cream the butter, sugar, and eggs together. 
2. Turn mixer to low and add baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, vanilla, and milk until well combined.
3. Slowly add in the flour a little at a time until well combined. 
4. Chill dough 1 to 2 hours. 
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
6. Sprinkle the counter with a light dusting of flour.
7. Roll out a handful of dough until it is an eighth- to a quarter-inch thick. The thinner the dough, the crispier the cookies will be. If you like them to be chewy on the inside, roll the dough thicker. 
8. Cut out cookies in desired shapes. Use a spatula to help get them off the counter. The dough is easier to work with when it’s cool, so if it gets really sticky, put it back in the fridge.  
9. Bake cookies for about 9-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly brown.
10. When cooled, decorate the cookies with butter cream frosting and sprinkles.  

Butter Cream Frosting
Serves: Frosts about 4 to 
      5 dozen cookies 
Time: 15 minutes

1 ½ sticks butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
2-4 tablespoons half and half                
    creamer

This is a good, straight forward frosting recipe I got out of a newspaper.
1. In a mixer on high, beat the butter until it’s fluffy, about 5 minutes.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time.
3. Add the almond extract.
4. Add the half n’ half a little at a time while still beating the frosting on high. Do this until desired fluffiness is achieved. It should look smooth and creamy with small peaks. 
5. Add food coloring of your choice. 

Helen’s Advice
To make this frosting chocolate flavored, add 1/3 cup cocoa with the powdered sugar.  

posted by Palmquist Farm at 3:23 PM0 comments