Ginger Cemetery Cookies

 

This recipe, from Baking in the American South that I reviewed here, seemed appropriate for the month of October because of the name. But, in truth, there is nothing scary about these cookies at all. The recipe was submitted for inclusion in a 2004 publication, Food to Die For, a fundraising cookbook to aid restoration efforts of the 26-acre Old City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Virginia. The cemetery, now a landmark, is the resting place for Civil War soldiers from over 14 states. The cookies were served at so many cemetery fundraisers, hence the name.Ginger Cemetery Cookies

 12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar, plus ¼ c. for rolling

1 large egg

¼ c. molasses

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 t. baking soda

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground cloves

½ t. ground ginger

½ t. kosher salt

 Place the butter and the 1 cup sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the egg and molasses and beat until just combined, 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and set aside.

 Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and salt in a medium bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, beating on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.

 When you are ready to bake, heat the oven to 325ºF, with a rack in the middle. Put the 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place 2 to 3 inches apart on 12-by-17-inch ungreased baking sheets and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass.*

Bake, one pan at a time, until firm and crisp, 10 to 14 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan to cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the pan between batches. Let the cookies cool to room temperature, 15 minutes, before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

*I didn’t find that it was at all necessary to add the final step of flattening with a glass. As you can see from my results, they flattened out just fine. Why go to the extra trouble?

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrne, Reviewed

 

I’m sure that we all approach cookbooks in a different way. Me? I like to read them like a novel. Because of this, I am always delighted to find a cookbook that can offer me not only recipes, but historical facts, new methods of cooking, local culture, and thoughts and tips from fellow cooks. Baking in the American South by Anne Byrne (Set to be released on September 4th) has all of these things, plus it offers us recipes that are truly fine examples of the wonderful tradition of Southern baking.

 

This book contains 200 recipes from 14 Southern states, and nearly as many mouthwatering photos, that will send you running into the kitchen, whisk in hand. For me, this book was worth it alone for the cornbread recipes. There are biscuits as well, and rolls, cakes, and cookies, all most certain to send you into a carbohydrate coma.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the people who created these recipes and their varied cultures. Kudos to Bryne for being able to convert those old recipes when inexact measurements were used. To the dismay of everyone in my family, my grandmother used to say things like “add enough flour until it ‘looks right,’” confounding everyone. Because of this I was grateful for the included and most helpful chart in converting those measurements into modern day ones. This provides the reader with the wonderful opportunity to recreate those much loved, crumbling, food-stained recipes from decades past, allowing them to partake in the delights of their own family’s culinary history.

 

 You don’t have to be a baker to be fascinated by the contents. You will, however, want to explore each chapter in detail (one of which is devoted entirely to cornbread, be still my beating heart):

 Sizzling Cornbread

Hot Biscuits

Quick Loaves, Griddle Cakes, Waffles, and Fritters

Rolls, Breads, and Yeast-Raised Cakes

Comforting Puddings

Pies Plain and Fancy

Bake Me a Cake

Cookies and Bars by the Dozen

Frostings and Flourishes

 

This is really a book that needs to be experienced. Historians, food lovers, family cooks, and professionals, will all find great value here.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Anne Byrne, and Harper Celebrate for providing me with a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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