One Snowy Wintery Night

Growing up we had no snow, though wintertime never disappointed us. There was much baking to be done. Mother didn't have a lot of money and so throughout the year we were not allowed candies, soda pops, or sugary cereals, but she sure made up for it when she baked pies, cakes, and cookies at the end of every year. It was the cookies that I remember the most. Ginger Cream Cookies with snowy white fluffy frosting. That was my snow! As an adult and mother it became the custom to bake dozens of these thickly cut cookies and frost them all with the help of our children. Now days we get the real snow, and the little chickens have moved on, but at the end of the every year when the Ginger Cream Cookies are baked many memories of my childhood and of our 3 little chickens makes for such a sweet end of another year.

GINGER CREAM COOKIES

Cookies:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup molasses
2 egg yokes
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ginger
5-6 cups flour

Heat oven 400 degrees. In a large bowl cream sugar and shortening together. Now mix in each molasses, egg yokes, hot water, baking soda, and ginger. Finally, add a cup at a time flour until cookie mixture is workable as play dough. Lightly dust clean counter surface with flour and roll out cookie dough until flattened to 1/2-inch thick. Using your favorite cookie cutters (lightly dusted with flour) cut cookie shapes and place them on lightly greased cookie sheet (I use non-greased air bake sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Don't let them brown on the edges. They should be raised and soft. Cool completely before frosting

Frosting:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

Beat egg yokes until fluffy set aside. Cook sugar and water together at a soft boil until it forms a ball when you place a drop of it in water, approximately 10 minutes. Be sure to stir constantly. Now slowly add in sugar/water mixture into beaten egg yokes and beat on high until soft white peaks are glistening creamy and white as snow, meringue-like. Use frosting immediately to frost all cookies as it sets up stiff when cooled. Use your favorite sprinkles or decorate cookies as you like.