Ginger Cookies

When I take out the recipe card for these I always think of my Vermont friend, Janie Booth, with whom I often compared and modified recipes... these have been further modified for African ingredients. I like a lot of ginger; everyone loves the sparkly, crystalline appearance these cookies have.

The molasses or treacle is optional (sometimes it's hard to get in Africa); they add chewiness to the cookies, without it the cookies will be more like ginger snaps, and are also delicious. (See the sparkles?)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine (170 grams)
1 cup sugar (1 1/2 cups if not using molasses/treacle)
1/4 cup molasses or 2 Tbsp. black treacle (optional)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda (bicarbonate)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. or more ginger, to taste (I like at least 4 tsp.)


Cream together butter, sugar, egg and molasses or treacle.
Sift dry ingredients together and blend with butter mixture.

Roll to 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. Resist eating too many like this, they are yummy raw!

Flatten slightly on cookie sheet and bake 350 9-11 minutes. Cool on a rack.