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Grandma Krueger’s Molasses Christmas Cookies

Grandma Krueger’s Molasses Christmas Cookies

Quantity

100

cookies
Prep time

1

hour 
Cooking time

8

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

8

minutes

There’s nothing better at Christmas time than Grandma’s cookies. Follow along to learn how to make Grandma Krueger’s Molasses Christmas Cookies.

Cookie Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 C sugar

  • 1 C melted lard

  • 1 whole egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 1/2 C molasses

  • 3 Tbs half & half

  • 2 tsp baking soda (heaping)

  • 1/3 tsp iodized salt

  • 3/4 tsp anise oil

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tsp ground ginger

  • 6+ C all purpose flour

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 6 egg whites

  • 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar (2lb bag)

  • 3 Tbs light corn syrup

  • Assorted food coloring (recommend paste food coloring not liquid)

Directions

  • Mix sugar & melted lard in a stand mixer with the paddle attacment (or hand mixer) until blended; mix in egg; mix in molasses then 1/2 & 1/2. Add baking soda to approx 1/4 cup hot water and mix into batter (it may bubble a bit for you). Add salt, anise oil, cinnamon & ginger to batter and mix to combine. Slowly add in the flour, mixing to incorporate between additions.
  • As you near the 6 cup measure, the dough will be stiff and you may need to knead the rest of the flour in by hand. Put flour on a clean surface and knead flour in. The dough will be smooth and not sticky.
  • Chill the dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for at least two hours or over night. It rolls better when it is well-chilled.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface with a roller until it is approx 1/8 thick (any thicker than 1/8 inch and the cookies tend to be doughy instead of hard). Cut out with cookie cutters of your choice and place on a cookie sheet, allowing 1″ between cookies. Save your dough scraps and re-roll them into more cookies.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 7-10 minutes. The cookies will be brown, but they shouldn’t get dark around the edges. You want them fully baked, otherwise they bend.
  • Frosting Instructions:
  • Beat egg whites in a stand mixer with wire whip attachment until they hold a soft peak. Add sugar gradually & beat until sugar is dissolved and stands in peaks. Add syrup & beat 1 minute more.
  • To color frosting, separate frosting into smaller bowls in quantities of about 1 cup each – add food coloring in small increments and mix; add more coloring to get to the desired color. Spoon frosting into a piping bag afixed with a number 1 or 2 tip. Decorate the cookies and top with colored sugars, making sure to tap off the excess sugar as you decorate. The frosting will harden as it dries, but takes about 1 hour to harden fully.
  • These are great dipping cookies and are great with coffee or milk!

Notes

  • This recipe has been in my mom’s family since she was a little girl and it has been a tradition to decorate cookies every Christmas season.  We’ve been known to decorate over 300 cookies each year and give them as gifts to friends and neighbors.  I do hope my children will carry on the tradition with their families!  With Love, Ingrid Nagy (owner)
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