Molasses Cookies

made with help from the lovely assistant Melly

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks) room temperature + 2 tbsp warm
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup molasses
1 cup sour cream
2 tbsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 eggs, beaten
4 cups sifted flour
2 cup packed confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 1/2 tbsp milk warm + 3 tbsp, very hot
1 tsp lemon extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350. Beat butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, sour cream, ginger and salt. Combine the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowls, and add to butter mixture. Beat in eggs until well combined. Stir in flour. Place a heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie, 2 inches apart, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
2. To make frosting, beat confectioners’ sugar, 5 1/2 tbsp warm milk and remaining 2 tbsp warm butter together using a wooden spoon. Stir in lemon extract. Add remaining 3 tbsp hot milk and beat until smooth. use immediately to frost cookies. Spread 1 tsp frosting on top of each cookie. Let frosting set before serving.

*Notes:
As always, too much frosting. Our conclusion was these cookies taste like Thanksgiving, so if you’re looking for a Thanksgiving cookie…we found one. This could also be fun to make with little kids because you mix baking soda and vinegar together and that’s always fun.

Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine the cream, sugar, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip to stiff (but not grainy) peaks. Chill until using. Use within one day.

*Notes:
I didn’t make the cake, just the whipped cream and used it as frosting and decorated with raspberries and strawberries

Macaroons

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed milk
1 egg white, whipped
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
1 (14 oz) pkg flaked coconut (i used shredded cause it was what i already had)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees (i burnt the first batch and cooked the rest at 300…but don’t forget, i have a crazy oven). Line baking sheets with foil; grease and flour foul (i just used parchment paper). Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg white, extracts and coconut; mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets; slightly flatten each mount with a spoon.
3. Bake 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Immediately remove from baking sheets as macaroons will stick if allowed to cool; cool on wire racks. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
4. *To make macaroon Kisses just press a kiss into the middle of the Macaroons after having transferred them to the wire rack

*Notes:
these are majorly sticky and (according to my husband) very sweet. overall, i say grab a glass of milk and enjoy! (if you slightly over cook them, just add the kisses and Poof! they’re fixed!