WICKED WEDNESDAY
As we head into cooler weather in the northern hemisphere, not to mention the holiday season, how about a wickedly good molasses cookie recipe? This has the normal warming spices, along crystallized ginger for an extra kick. The characters make these cookies in my latest release, The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas.
Gingery
Molasses Cookies
These molasses cookies get an extra kick with two kinds of ginger! Note that this recipe needs to be chilled before baking. Liquid molasses makes the cookie batter very soft. Chilling creates a firm dough.
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
1.
In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, molasses, and egg.
2.
Stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, and all spices. Pour
this into the butter mixture and blend well. Stir in the crystallized ginger.
3.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for
several hours or overnight.
4.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the cups of a muffin tin with
nonstick cooking spray. Scoop spoonfuls of dough and roll them into 2-inch
balls in your hands. Place each ball in the cup of a muffin tin.
5.
For soft, gooey cookies, bake about 10 minutes, until the edges
look firm but the middle is still very soft. For crisper cookies, bake 12-14
minutes, until they look firm in the middle.
6. Rest the cookies in the muffin tin for five minutes. Then remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
Tip: You can also make these cookies on a regular baking sheet. They spread a lot though, so using the muffin pan results in thicker cookies.
The Billionaire Cowboy’s Christmas
When Josh
Tomlinson’s Texas ranching family wins a fortune in the
lottery, the formerly tight-knit family is suddenly on edge. Seeking advice,
Josh reluctantly contacts family friend and now attorney, Carly
Garza. His business is serious, yet he can’t believe Carly’s morphed
from a long-legged colt of a girl to a sophisticated woman. Besides, he knows
the intelligent Carly has no interest in a quiet, rugged cowboy like him.
Carly’s
crushed on Josh for years, and she plans to ask him out now that she’s back in
Last Stand. She’s hoping he’ll finally see her as someone other than his
younger brother’s middle school girlfriend. But when Josh needs advice on how
to handle his family’s lottery win, his client and billionaire statuses put him
firmly out of reach. If only her heart could ignore the sparks that flare
between them.
They’re already keeping the family’s lottery win a secret from the town. Can they also hide their budding romance during the most magical time of year?
Excerpt [Josh’s family has won the lottery, and Carly is helping them navigate their sudden fame. In this scene, Josh stops by Carly’s apartment.]
Josh lifted
the dish he held. “I brought dinner. People keep bringing casseroles and pies.
I don't quite understand the logic, but I guess they want to do something to
help us celebrate. Only a few of them brought investment ideas or requests for
loans at the same time, and we referred them to you. I hope that’s okay. We’re
not going to get through all this food, and the deep-freeze is packed.”
“And
you suspected I was here moping because my fridge was empty.” Carly couldn’t
stop smiling. “Thanks. Are you staying for dinner?”
“I’d love to. I’ll pop this in the oven.” He
did so and then studied the groceries on her counter. “Doing some baking?”
“I just haven’t put things away yet.”
“Well, this might change your mind.” He
pulled an envelope out of his jacket pocket and handed it over.
She opened it. “An invite to the cookie
exchange!”
He hung his jacket in her closet. “Mama is
still hosting.” He turned back toward her, hooking his thumbs in his front
jean’s pockets. “Ladies only, so you won’t get the pleasure of my brothers’
company. Mama says you’re all grown up and back in town, so you’re one of them
now.” Josh shrugged. “I don’t know if you consider that a compliment or not.”
She hugged the card to her. “It’s sweet.
Sometimes I’m not sure whether people here see me as grown up or not.”
“I guess it’s a good thing you bought baking
ingredients. What are you going to make?”
“Hm. Good question. Should I go classic or
try to find something no one else is likely to bring?”
“Always a challenge. If it helps, I have a
pretty good idea of what the other women will make.”
The room seemed too small with him there.
That slow old oven took forever to get warm, and then the casserole had to
heat, so they had at least an hour until they could eat. What was she going to
do with Josh in the meantime?
A few thoughts sprang to mind, but she
shoved them down. It didn’t matter how sweet he was or how good he looked. She
had to keep her hands to herself.
“That oven takes a while to heat up,” she
said. “Want to help me make cookies?”
“As long as I get to taste test.”
Maybe the oven was heating up quickly for
once, because she was getting far too warm.
They debated cookies and settled on molasses, because she had her grandmother’s recipe and it was one of Josh’s favorites. Baking distracted them for the next little while.
Find the series at Tule Publishing Amazon US Amazon UK B&N/Nook Apple Kobo BookBub Goodreads
Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers.
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Thanks for guesting, Kris. Everything about your post was delicious!
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