Honey Gingerbread Pinecone Cookies

As you all know, I am not much of a baker. I know I precede every baking post with that disclaimer, but it’s true. Essentially, what I’m saying here is that if I can do something successfully then so can you. One of my least favorite things to make is cookies because they are so labor-intensive. That said, I have a particular liking for cookie molds because I find the results to be so charming. Cookie molds can be rather expensive, so when I saw this one on Amazon for around $10, I couldn’t resist. Plus, I love the pine cone image during holiday time.

Ready for the oven.

Yesterday I decided to give it a whirl, so I mixed up a batch of my honey gingerbread cookies and tried it out. I could not believe how beautifully this mold worked. If you are looking for a great gift for someone who enjoys baking, or eating cookies, here is your answer. The mold itself is deeply etched and, as you can see, produces a sharp, clear result.

Out of the oven.

Give these a try. They will be a pretty and delicious addition to your holiday cookie tray.

Deli paper source.

Honey Gingerbread Pinecone Cookies

 ½ c. Crisco

½ c. sugar

¼ c. molasses

¼ c. honey

1½ t. vinegar

1 egg, beaten

3 c. flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. cinnamon

½ t. ginger

¼ t. salt

Bring shortening, sugar, molasses, and vinegar to a boil.  Cool; add egg.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add to first mixture, mixing well.  Chill.  Press into cookie mold (See Notes). Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat.  Bake at 375°F for 8-12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from sheet.

 Notes: If molding cookies is new to you let me give you a couple of tips. First of all, don’t chill the dough; use it at room temperature. It’s much more pliable and will work its way into the small crevices of the mold much more easily. Second, don’t fret over it. Take a glob of dough, press it into the mold, and then using the heel of your hand, force it into all of those tiny spaces; let it overrun the mold. Once that’s accomplished, take a sharp knife, place the side of the knife blade at the base of the cookie mold and, using a sawing motion, saw off the excess dough in the same manner that you would fillet a fish. Turn the cookie mold on its side (the long side) and rap it firmly on a hard surface 4 to 5 times, and you will see it start to come loose. You can coax it out, or rap it a few more times and it will pop right out. I like to spray the mold with PAM every four or five cookies, just to make sure it comes out easily.

Plate Source.

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