Cookbook author Anne Byrn has released her new “American Cookie: The Snaps, Drops, Jumbles, Tea Cakes, Bars & Brownies That We Have Loved for Generations” and she will be at the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge on November 10th for a book signing. When her publisher reached out to us for a preview, we jumped at the change to use some fresh Muddy Pond Sorghum in a recipe! These chewy, fall-flavored cookies are quick and easy to make and are perfect to give as gifts or take as a hostess gift to those upcoming family and friends gatherings. This old “Hartman Family” recipe Byrn says, “This recipe explains why cookies have been an important contribution to American family life. It has a story that continues to unfold with new generations of cookie bakers, and it works today as it did yesterday because it’s easy to bake with what you have on hand. You just roll balls of dough in granulated sugar and flatten them with the bottom of a glass on a pan before baking.” We made these and they were a great success! Below is the recipe reprinted with permission. The only thing we did differently is add a pinch of Olde Virden’s to half the batch to kick up the spice a little… and we recommend it!
After making the simple cookie dough and letting it rest in the refrigerator, roll into 1″ balls and then roll in sugar.
Mash the cookies with a chilled glass
Bake and Enjoy!
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar, divided
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening (see
- Baking Tips) or ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted
- butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup molasses or sorghum
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- MAKES: About 4 dozen (2 ½” to 3") cookies
- Place 1 cup of the sugar and the shortening or soft butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and egg, and beat on low until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fold into the creamed mixture, and mix on low speed until just combined, 30 seconds. Remove the beaters, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
- Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Drop the dough in 1" pieces onto ungreased baking sheets. Space each piece about 3" apart. Roll the pieces in the remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar to form balls. Flatten the cookies with the bottom of a juice glass. Place the pan in the oven.
- Bake the cookies until lightly browned around the edges, 7 to minutes. (Grandma Hartman would pull her cookies out of the oven between 6 ½ and 7 ½ minutes, just to make sure. She liked the cookies to be soft when they came out of the oven. But you can bake them slightly longer.) Remove the cookies with a metal spatula and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 2 minutes before serving.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Store the cookies in an airtight container.
- © Ann Byrn: American Cookie. All Photos: KnoxFoodie
