This is my favorite Christmas cookie!  It’s chock full of iron rich molasses, uses healthy oil (and less of it) and has half the sugar of traditional cookies.  We went simple on the frosting and drizzled a thick glaze in random patterns over them.  So pretty!  This recipe is also included in the Grocery Shrink Christmas ebook.  We used the same recipe to cut out pieces for a gingerbread train that we will put together tomorrow at grandma’s house.  You can get the free pattern here.

Molasses Cookie Cutouts

1 cup blackstrap molasses (you can use light molasses, but it has less nutrition)

2/3 cup oil (The healthiest one you prefer)

Simmer these 2 ingredients together for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile…

Cream 1 egg, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cloves, and 1 teaspoon salt.

Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda into 1/2 cup hot water and blend into the creamed mixture.

Add simmered molasses mixture, pouring it right in the center of the bowl.  (If it touches anything cold like a metal bowl or mixer, it will instantly harden into hard candy and make a mess!)

Gradually stir in 6 cups of flour.  (I used whole wheat, but you can use whatever you like.)

Roll out about 1/4 inch thick.  Cut with cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cool on a wire rack.

Mix 2 cups of powdered sugar with 2 teaspoons of milk.  Gradually adding milk and powdered sugar until you have a glaze that will drip from a spoon but hold it’s shape on the cookie.  Drizzle the cookies with glaze and leave out to dry for 2-3 hours or until glaze is hardened.  Package in air tight containers.

If your cookies get hard, add a piece of soft bread to the container.  The cookies will soften and the bread will get hard.