Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies – Vintage Recipe
Molasses Cookies – A WWII Recipe
While not having the same popularity today, molasses cookies were once a staple in many American kitchens. During WWII, where sugar was carefully rationed, molasses often served as a substitute sweetener.
These molasses cookies were featured in a pamphlet the Joseph Burnett Company put out during WWII . It provided recipes for home cooks that made substitutions easy, and still allowed them to provide desserts for their soldiers who were away from home.
Love these molasses cookies and want to try some other WWII cookie recipes? Try these Peanut Butter Cookies or these Maple & Raisin Cookies.
Molasses Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup molasses
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup shortening
- ¾ cup hot water
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and prep 2 to 3 cookie sheets with grease.
In a mixing bowl combine molasses, sugar, vanilla and egg with hot water. In a separate bowl combine remaining dry ingredients, and sift carefully to avoid lumps. Then slowly incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use a teaspoon to drop cookies on your cookie sheets, making sure to leave enough space between cookies to allow them to spread.
