INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2/3 cup regular molasses
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 rounded tsp. salt
2 rounded tsp. cinnamon

Cream the butter and sugar until light and pale yellow. Beat the egg. Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the molasses. Add egg and molasses to the butter-sugar mixture and beat in. Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients, then add them slowly to the mixer bowl, mixing thoroughly. The dough will be soft. Refrigerate it overnight.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch, cut it with a small cookie cutter and bake on parchment for 10-12 minutes.

Results: Very pleasant, crisp little cookie that reminded me of ginger snaps, doubtless on account of the molasses. This is the last of the war years cookies, and the recipe still uses few eggs, not much butter (for a cookie), and a sugar substitute. Still an excellent cookie. The white discoloration of the cookie tops is flour from the rolling that the cookie does not absorb during baking. I’m not sure what to do about this; flour is necessary to prevent sticking.

Next week: our first post-war cookie and first bar cookie.

First photo below: Gourmet. Second photo mine.