Moravian Ginger Cookies

Moravian ginger cookie was brought to America by the Moravians who founded Bethlehem, PA on Christmas Eve in 1741. This is a crisp and spicy cookie. Sometimes it's sprinkled with sugar and sometimes it's glazed. It's traditionally round although the dough would be easy to cut into other shapes or just squares. These cookies are so festive for the holidays and not difficult to make at all, although they do take time. They have a four hour chilling period that would scare people off. I



chilled the dough three hours then rolled it and it was fine. I rolled the dough out on a Silpat that had been lightly dusted in flour and that worked perfectly. These are delicious, very snackable and would make lovely gifts in a tin to keep them crispy. I adapted the recipe in the Cooky Book from Betty Crocker. This recipe has been submitted to the Blog Hop over at Meal Planning Magic for the 12 Weeks of Christmas Blog Hop.

Moravian Ginger Cookies

- 1/3 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups AP flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, cinnamon, and cloves
- dash of nutmeg

1. Mix molasses, butter, and brown sugar thoroughly. Stir together flour and remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. Blend flour mixture into molasses mixture until completely mixed.
3. Cover; chill 3-4 hours. (This will help the dough hold together better while rolling)
4. Heat oven to 375F.
5. Roll out 1/3 of the dough paper thin. Cut into the desired shape. Place on a greased baking sheet or a Silpat.
6. Bake 5-6 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges.

Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar or ice with a confectioners glaze.

Confectioners Glaze:
- 1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon flavoring, such as vanilla or almond
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cream or water

1. Blend sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add cream or water to desired spreading consistency.