These things are an acquired taste. They may look like gingerbread, but don’t let that fool you. People either love these or hate them. All my kids like them, that’s convenient.
My Grandma Clark got the recipe from a Pennsylvania Dutch lady in the church Grandpa was pastoring. She would mix up one batch for the winter, and keep it cool on the cellar steps beneath the bulkhead – no eggs, no worries. The children played in the basement, but they never dared steal dough to eat – the anise flavor is so strong Grandma would have known they’d been naughty from their breath.
German Cookies
1 quart Molasses
2 Cup sugar
1 Cup Butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water mixed with 3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 oz oil of anise
11 cups flour (more or less)
And that’s all the recipe says, I do cream the butter with the sugar and molasses, but the rest is improvised.
roll out, cut with cutters, bake at – well, do you like them crispy or gingerbready? Aunt S does them soft, mine always come out crunchy. I bake them 10 min at 300 and roll them thinly. I’ll have to ask Aunt S what to do to make them thick and soft.
They are tasty with red hot candies and tea. If you like anise that is.
I just got this as an e-mail and thought I’d archive it here:
The cookie recipe goes a whole lot further back than our days in PA. Not sure where it came from.
I think they were in the family before I was!
Mom