Strawberry Shortcake Murder

MOLASSES CRACKLES

Do not preheat oven yet. Dough must chill before baking.

1 1/2 cups melted butter (3 sticks, 3/4 pound)

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup molasses (I use Brer Rabbit green label or a very dark molasses)

2 beaten eggs (first whip them up with a fork)

4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon *

1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground is best)

4 cups flour (there’s no need to sift it)

Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add sugar and molasses and stir. Let it cool slightly. Then add the beaten eggs, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring after each addition. Add flour in one-cup increments, stirring after each one. The dough will be quite stiff.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (Over night is fine too.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Roll the chilled dough into walnut-sized balls. Put some sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it. Place them on a greased cookie sheet (12 to a standard sheet). Press them down just a little so they won’t roll off when you carry them to the oven.

Bake for 10 - 12 minutes. They’ll flatten out, all by themselves. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Molasses cookies freeze well. Roll them up in foil, put them in a freezer bag, and they’ll be fine for 3 months or so. (You’d better lock your freezer if you want them to last that long.)

These were Dad’s favorite cookies. He used to ask me to bake them on Sunday morning, so he could eat them while he read the paper. Mother is also crazy about them, even thought they don’t have chocolate.