Molasses

I was talking a good friend today. I really don’t know how this happened but I remember a silly little joke my mom told me as really young kid. Those of you who knew my mom also knew she had a great sense of humor and could laugh at an off-colored joke (‘ribald’ as she referred to them).  I remember when Uncle Jerry and Auntie Ang were visiting and the TV show “Bennie Hill” was being televised, they would sit in the kitchen and watch it.  Uncle Jerry and my mom would laugh our loud at some of the routines on the program while Auntie Ang would loudly “TSK” and call Bennie Hill a pig.  I think that made Uncle Jerry and my mom laugh even more.

Well this is the silly little joke she told me!  There were three moles, papa mole, mama mole and, of course, baby mole.  Seems like they were all in their little burrow when they started to smell something.  Papa mole ran up to the entrance of the burrow and exclaimed “I smell eggs cooking”.  Mama mole ran up and squealed “I smell bacon cooking”.  Poor little baby mole tried to get to the entrance but was blocked my papa’s and mama’s bodies and could only yell “I smell molasses”.   I actually remember wondering why my mom thought that was so funny. I don’t remember exactly when it finally hit me, but the punch line was supposed to read “I smell MOLE ASSESS”.  Sorry folks!!  It was at this time I finally became aware of my mom’s sense of humor.  And until she died, she retained that sense of humor for which I will always be grateful.

All of my mom’s siblings possessed this humor and I think it was this humor that got them through some very rough times. I have hundreds of stories that at various times I will try to narrate to you. I sometimes remember these stories and actually laugh at loud.  They are treasures in my mind and I hope to share them with you.

I know you are expecting a recipe and I searched my files for an appropriate one. Molasses is not an ingredient fount in many of the Italian/American recipes of which I am familiar. However, I found a cookie recipe using molasses that I used in one of my classes.  Enjoy! And please leave a comment at the very end of this recipe!!!

GINGERBREAD PEOPLE

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, room temperature

¾ cup of firmly packed brown sugar

1 large egg

½ cup of molasses

3 ¼ cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1 teaspoon of ground ginger

¼ teaspoon of cloves

Dry raisons or cranberries for decorating, optional

Icing (optional)

2/3  cup of powdered sugar

2 tablespoon of water

Food coloring, if desired

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1.     In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed. It will be grainy.

2.     Add egg and molasses and beat until smooth.

3.     Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in another bowl and mix.

4.     Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix until thoroughly combined. Do not overmix.

5.     Separate dough into two balls and flatten into two discs.

6.     Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

7.     On a flat surface, roll out dough to about a ¼ inch thickness.

8.     Flour your gingerbread person cutter and cut into dough.

9.     Gather the scraps and roll out as before until all the dough is used

10. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

11. Decorate with raison and/or cranberries, if desired

12. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, be careful not to brown to much

13. Transfer to a cool flat surface.

Icing

1.     Combine powdered sugar, water and food coloring until smooth.  Make sure it is liquid enough for a smooth but not runny flow. Add more water if necessary.

2.     Place icing in a pastry bag with a small tip and decorate the people as desired.