After visiting my Grampa last weekend I’ve been craving cookies. Usually it’s me making the cookies for him, not visits causing cravings in me, but my Great Aunt was up as well, baking up a glorious aroma in my grandparents kitchen. Obviously stoked by my Grampa’s mentioning of their childhood slathering of butter and molasses over bread, she was making Ginger Crackles. Spicy, sugary and crisp, the house was like Christmas just with better weather.

Back home with the craving still strong in my nose, I finally knew what to do with the fancy molasses taking up space in the pantry.

…And once I had my cookie, what’s better than it than making whoopie?

Using a cream filling lightly scented with orange blossom water, which so nicely complemented the sticky spice of molasses.

The test batches didn’t last, so I’ll have to make these again for our next Greastest Grampa visit.

SOFT MOLLASSES COOKIES

1/4 Cup Soft Margarine, or butter
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/3 Cup Fancy Molasses
1 1/2 Cups Cake & Pastry Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Orange Zest
1/2 Cup Soy Milk
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

3 Tablespoons (approx.) Granulated Sugar

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Cream the margarine and brown sugar then add the molasses, continuing to mix until well blended.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon.
In a pourable measuring cup combine the soy milk and lemon juice.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar. Blend, then continue with half of the milk.
Add the orange zest and while still mixing, finish with the remaining dry ingredients and milk.
Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of batter, evenly spaced, onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and using a dampened, flat bottom glass, dipped into the sugar, flatten each cookie. Recover the glass bottom with the sugar as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and puffed.
Cool on a rack before filling.
Makes 18 cookies/9 whoopie pies.

ORANGE BLOSSOM ICING

1/4 Cup Margarine
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Orange Blossom Water

Add margarine and granulated sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until creamy with the whisk attachment.
With the motor running add the orange blossom water and half of the confectioners sugar.
Scrape sides and add the remaining sugar.
Continue to whisk for a few minutes, until light and fluffy.

To assemble, dollop a heaping tablespoonful of icing to the underside of a cookie. Top with a matching cookie, pressing down lightly to spread the icing and secure.