Great Aunt Marys Ginger Cookies Food

GREAT AUNT MARY'S GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Sift flour, ground ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together three times into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• 2. Mix butter, Crisco, sugar, egg, and molasses in large mixing bowl.
• 3. Slowly incorporate dry mixture into wet mixture.
• 4. Form dough into little balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets.
• 5. Bake in preheated 350ºF oven for 12-15 minutes.

AUNT MARY'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Beat the sugar and butter with a spoon until creamy. In three batches, sift and mix the flour into the sugar-butter mixture. Mix well, until fluffy. (my Aunt Mary uses a wooden spoon for mixing, but you can use electric beaters).
• Pat the dough flat onto a greased cookie sheet, covering about 3/4 of the pan (I pat the dough into neatly formed rectangular shape). Puncture the dough at regular intervals with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Cut into 15 pieces per pan (1 inch wide). Bake 1/2 hour at 300-325°F Let cool.

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.
• Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

AUNT MARY'S COOKIES

Steps:

• Place sheets of waxed paper onto a work surface.
• Stir sugar, cocoa, and evaporated milk together in a large nonstick saucepan over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir butter and marshmallow creme into cocoa mixture. Quickly stir graham cracker crumbs into mixture.
• Drop cookies by the spoonful onto waxed paper; let stand until firm. Store in airtight containers.

AUNT MARY DILLON'S PRALINE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups light-brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla. Beat until fully combined. Add dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until combined.
• Drop batter in rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until firm and barely golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies from pan to wire rack.
• In a small saucepan, combine remaining 1 cup light-brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk until smooth. (If frosting thickens, thin with cream.) Add pecan pieces. Place cookies on a cooling rack over a lined baking pan. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon praline mixture onto each cookie.

AUNT MARY'S BISCUITS

Steps:

• Combine first 4 ingredients.
• Cut in shortening with pastry cutter or two knives until it resembles coarse meal.
• Pour milk into center and stir with fork until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl.
• Knead carefully on floured board.
• Roll or pat to 3/4 inch thickness and cut with 2-inch cookie cutter.
• Place on ungreased sheet and bake at 450: F for 10 to 15 minutes until nicely browned.
• If you wish, you can brush tops with milk to make them brown nicely.

CLASSIC AUNT SALLY (OR SALLY ANN) COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar, add molasses and eggs and buttermilk.
• Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, then add to creamed mixture.
• Refrigerate for an hour or so, until slightly firm.
• Roll out at about 1/4" (thicker for more cakelike cookies, thinner for crispier ones - they're good both ways).
• Cut out (traditionally with a SPAM can, but to each her own).
• Bake at 325 for about 12-15 minutes.
• When cookies are cool, whip up the icing.
• In saucepan, dissolve gelatin in cold water.
• Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• While simmering, add 3 C powdered sugar to a large straight-sided bowl and measure in soda. Stir.
• Pour hot liquid into sugar mixture and whisk. Add vanilla. Lumps are not good.
• If 3 C of powdered sugar is enough to produce a almost-set pudding-like icing, it is read. If it seems thin, add another cup and whisk inches.
• Take cooled cookies and dip the tops into the icing, wiping off excess on side of bowl.
• Set on wax paper until icing is hard.