Cookies...25º

 We devoured the molasses cookies that I made last week and Herb was hinting that maybe I might want to make more cookies...So early Friday morning I started a double batch of cookies in my Bosch mixer (purchased when we made bread to sell at the Farmers Market and it works best with large quantities)...1 pound of room temperature butter sliced into pieces went in first, then 4 cups of sugar and a "splash" or 2 of molasses is added...This is creamed until light and fluffy, add 4 eggs, more beating, add soda, salt, vanilla and 1/2 of the flour and mix...Now because I want two kinds of cookies, I remove 1/2 of this mixture to another bowl for later...Then I add the rest of the flour & oatmeal, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) grated orange rind, raisins, craisins, and nuts...oatmeal/raisin are a favorite of Herbs...In the other bowl I add more flour, chocolate chips and stir by hand, I like these the best!..I quickly scoop out 4 dozen cookies, bake them and am ready to go to my movie (Eat, Drink, Man, Woman)...I leave two dozen with Herb, take two dozen with me and put the rest of the dough in the fridge to deal with later.

Now it is Saturday morning and I must do something with the cookie dough in the fridge...It is too hard to scoop but makes better cookies if you can form them from the cold dough...So I manage to "whack" off some portions of dough...Now I just stated in my blog a few days ago that my Mom didn't make cookies...I LIED...My mind is going back to the fifties and I remember Mom getting a recipe for icebox cookies, which she tried a couple of times...First you mixed the dough then made 2 inch rolls out of it, wrapped it in wax paper (plastic wrap not invented yet) and refrigerated it...Took the rolls out at your leisure, cut off rounds placed on cookie sheets and baked and you had sugar cookies..My Mom soon went back to making cinnamon rolls and pies, cookies just weren't her thing...Now back to my cookie dough...I was able to make 1 inch rolls out of this cookie dough and cut off 1 inch chunks, place them on a cookie sheet and into the oven...Now these cookies are not perfect rounds but who cares?..In short order I had the rest of the dough on cookie sheets and baked, just in time to have warm cookies and milk for our mid morning snack!..  OWAV:)