Enfield Shaker Plain Ginger Cookies Recipe

SISTER MARTHA WETHERELL, ENFIELD SHAKER VILLAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Enfield Shaker Plain Ginger Cookies
Enfield Shaker Plain Ginger Cookies

ORIGINAL RECIPE

One cup molasses, one heaping cup butter, one scant cup hot water, two teaspoons soda, ginger, cinnamon to taste. Flour to roll.
(That’s the entire recipe!)

Enfield Shaker Plain Ginger Cookies Recipe

KITCHEN-TESTED BY NAN MUNSEY, ENFIELD SHAKER MUSEUM

UPDATED RECIPE
2 cups (240 grams) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup (113 grams) butter
1/2 cup (175 grams) molasses
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease (or line with parchment paper) two baking sheets.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, ginger, and cinnamon.

In separate bowl, beat together the butter and molasses. Add the hot water and mix on low speed until combined.

Add the flour mixture, and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated.

Place half the dough on a lightly floured surface, roll 1/4″ thick, and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Repeat with remaining dough and place on baking sheets.

Bake for 12 minutes, one baking sheet at a time, rotating the sheet halfway through the baking. Cool on a rack. YIELDS ABOUT 48 COOKIES.

Kitchen-Tester’s Note: This is a plain, crisp cookie, perhaps to be eaten with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning. If you wish a spicier version, add another teaspoon of ground ginger.

This recipe first appeared in Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers, by William Lassiter (New York: Greenwich Book Publishers, 1959, p. 132) and is attributed to Sister Martha Wetherhill. Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers was reprinted by Bonanza Books in 1978 under the title Shaker Recipes and Formulas for Cooks and Homemakers. Both editions are out of print, but are available at reasonable cost at www.abebooks.com or www.eBay.com.

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