Believe it or not, this is the only cookie I can’t mess up. I can cook, throw recipes together, bake bread, make cakes and deserts, but I can’t make a cookie. Never have been able to. I think I am too impatient to get the butter temp and the wet vs dry ingredients right. My kids think I don’t care or try because they have sugar. They may be getting too smart. They call these “healthy cookies, so then mom can make them.” They have molasses and yummy spices and I’ve replaced the sugar with monk fruit powder, so I guess I can go with that thought.
We all know sugar isn’t helping our health. And in small amounts isn’t that bad. But sugar is added to everything (even spaghetti sauce), so it’s hard to stay with eating just a little. Most times I like to stick with maple syrup or honey for baking and sweets, but because of my ‘cookie making deficiency in the wet vs dry, flat vs crumbly’ issue I’ve commonly stuck with sugar because all of my old recipes from my grandma’s called for just that. And good or bad, cookies have never been a go-to for my treat and I stink at making them, so I’ve not needed them in my life much (I’m a chocolate fan). But then I know all the benefits of molasses, and this cookie making experience has been kind to me, so I often make these more often for a ‘healthy’ treat.
Benefits of Molasses
low sugar content
high in vitamins (B6 to help us be happy) and minerals (decrease stress, improve sleep, enhance libido, help balance blood sugar levels, help absorb calcium for bone health)
Source of Iron
High in Antioxidants (protect your cells)
Relax muscles and help with bowel movements
Anti-inflammatory
Helps with PMS symptoms
Well then, we surely better be eating Grandma’s Molasses Cookies!!
Grandma’s Molasses Cookies
Converted to Gluten Free and different sugar option
Makes about 36 cookies
Oven preheated to 350 degrees
Mix together:
3/4 cup room temp/ mildly melted butter (depending on the gluten free flour, sometimes I have had to add another 1/4 cup to not have it so dry)
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup monk fruit powder (sugar replacement- 0 glycemic index)
1 egg
Blend in:
1 1/2 cup gluten free flour mix (I’ve used Namaste brand, Bob’s Red Mill- if I use King Arthur’s I usually have to add more butter)
1 cup almond flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1-2 tsp ginger
Place parchment paper on the cookie sheet- this makes gluten free baking so much easier.
Scoop dough and roll cookies into a ball by hand. Should keep their shape and be very mildly sticky. Can dip the tops in monk fruit powder, but I’ve also left mine plain and they are fine.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy and stay warm this weekend!
