Orange Pomander Cookies

I recently posted on my Instagram account about the Trader Joe’s Orange Pomander Cake. It is so, so good! I can't get enough of it.
But tonight I really wanted to make some of the World's Best Gingersnaps. I got an amazing recipe years ago from a lady who posted recipes in an email newsletter before there were blogs, and they are scrumptious. I immediately realized that I had a problem. No molasses. You can't have a really good gingersnap without molasses.

I continued to leaf through a binder where I have collected recipes over the last decade or more, and happened to find one I'd copied from a catering mystery book by Diane Mott Davidson called Honey Gingersnaps. They had promise, but they weren't quite what I was hoping for.  All was not lost though. The honey gingersnaps sparked an idea to try change the recipe into orange pomander cookies.  So here you go, and yes they do taste like a crispy version of the cake.

 Orange Pomander Cookies

Yield 3 Dozen

1/2 cup honey

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

zest of one orange

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 375F degrees

1. Cream first 5 ingredients.
2. Sift together remaining dry ingredients and mix with wet ingredients until fully incorporated.
3. Chill for one hour.
4. Using a small baking scoop or tablespoon, place a drop of dough into a small plate with granulated sugar and roll dough in sugar.
5. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment (if desired.)
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
7. Cool on a baking rack to retain crispy texture.

To truly taste like the bread, you can make a vanilla frosting with a 1/4 tsp of cloves and ice the cookies. Yum!

Grandma's Persimmon Cookies

1 cup of ripe persimmon pulp (smooth, not chunks)
1 tsp baking soda (put through sm. strainer so there are no bitter clumps)
2 cups flour (may need a little more)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar (if you like a really sweet cookie you can add up to 1/4 cup more)
1/2 cup butter (not shortening or margarine, only the real deal)
1 egg
1 cup chopped walnuts (opt)
1 cup raisins (opt)

Cream sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl.  Add egg, persimmon, and baking soda. Stir well. Add all dry ingredients.  Add walnuts and raisins last.  Dough should be like a thick cake batter, not like a cookie dough.  Drop by spoonful ( I use a med. Pampered Chef scoop) onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  Don't over bake or cookies will be dry.  You want these to be soft.

Daddy says these are ok for breakfast because they have persimmon and walnuts.  Just add a glass of milk and you are good to go. ;-)

World's Best Gingersnaps

I don't normally like gingersnaps, but I LOVE these! They are a little crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside.  So far, everywhere I take these, people love them!

1 1/2 cups Butter (don't substitute for margarine or shortening -- gross)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cloves

Cream butter and sugar, add molasses and eggs.  Then add in dry ingredients.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape into balls, flatten slightly and dip one side into sugar.  Place sugar side up on a baking sheet (I use Pampered chef baking stones.) Bake 13-15 minutes at 375, or until browned.  These should end up crispy on the outside and slightly moist and chewy on the inside.

These would be perfect for a fall or winter tea.  A little spicy but not overwhelming.  I know many people love flavored teas, in fact, I just picked up a pumpkin spice Rooibos for my mom that would probably be delightful with these.  I stick with my plain old black tea and I'm happy.  No clashing flavors.  But feel free to experiment and if you have a Trader Joes in your neighborhood, check out their Pumpkin Spice Rooibos.