Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Have Yourself a Crinkle!

Katie went to family camp with two families from our previous church, as she has for the last few years. And as Gary tends to do, he rustled us up to go for one of the days there too--sometimes I go, sometimes not. This time I went. About an hour before Katie left on Friday to meet the Kackers who drive her up there, she suddenly got the bug to make not one, but two batches of cookies. The kitchen was already kind of the random-moment mess that it often is, and we didn't clean it up first, as I'd have preferred, because we were in a hurry. So it was a compounded mess after she left. Besides which, she made one batch fully but left all but one dozen's worth of the other--and it makes 8 dozen! So I baked up the rest of the cookies, and when we visited on Saturday I brought most of them along. They were a hit! I was glad to get rid of them. I know they're good, and I found them hard to resist though I avoid wheat. I had a couple...aaagh. One friend e-mailed asking for the recipe. Since I felt there was every indication it was a popular recipe, I thought I'd post it for whoever might want it.

Molasses Sugar Crinkles
1 1/2 c. shortening (Katie used 2 margarine & 1 butter)
2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. molasses
2 eggs
4 tsp. baking soda
4 c. sifted flour (sifted? Ha!)
1 1/2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. ginger
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Granulated sugar for rolling dough

Melt shortening and let cool. Add next nine ingredients and stir well. Chill (we didn't--we added another cup flour, because we forgot about chilling it and thought I'd shorted that much flour since it was so soft--maybe I had?). Form into small balls. Dip tops in sugar. Place sugar-side-up 3" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle balls with 2-3 drops water (we forgot to, but it makes a nice crackled effect). Do not flatten. Bake at 375 degrees 10 min. or so. Do not overbake, they're better too soft than too hard. Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet. Makes 8 dozen cookies. Dough may be refrigerated for a week or so.

We'd forgotten so many of the instructions because we normally only make them at Christmas time, and because we were in such a hurry, making them both of us together in the kitchen.

The other recipe is sort of a cheat, and yet I think it's fun just because it's so quick and people always love it.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 pkg. "Betty Crocker" (or other) super-moist devil's food cake mix
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Beat cake mix, butter, vanilla, eggs in large bowl on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons about 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 min. or until edges are set (centers will be soft). Don't overbake; the charm is in their softness. Cool 1 min.; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Makes about 5 dozen.

It was a good time, making those cookies! Even in the midst of a mess. We could have fun in the bottom of a muddy bucket. And it might as well have been, where she was going; it was very rainy up at the campsite! Tarps were pitched everywhere, and happy campers were playing cards and eating cookies. Yup, camping is fun, especially when you can drive back home to go to bed.

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