Molasses Spice Leaves Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment, and butter the parchment.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, sour cream, molasses, ginger, lemon zest, and vanilla.
• Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack, remove parchment, and turn right side up. Let cool completely. (Cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 day.)
• Spread frosting over top of cake. Drizzle with glaze. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Finely grind walnuts in processor. Add 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar and blend to powder. Using electric mixer, cream butter with brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Mix remaining 1 3/4 cups flour with nut mixture, spices and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture (dough will be soft). Divide dough into 2 pieces. Flatten each into disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter heavy large cookie sheets. On heavily floured surface, roll 1 dough piece out (keep remainder refrigerated) to thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Cut out cookies using 3-inch leaf cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared cookie sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Repeat rolling and cutting with second dough piece. Gather scraps and chill 15 minutes. Reroll scraps and cut out more cookies. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on racks.
• Make icing:
• Using electric mixer, beat sugar and egg whites until smooth.
• Spoon icing into pastry bag fitted with 1/16-inch round tip. Pipe icing atop cookies. Decorate with dragées. Let stand until icing sets. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store refrigerated between layers of waxed paper in airtight container. Let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.)

Steps:

• For Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk apple butter, buttermilk, oil, eggs, molasses and raisins in medium bowl to blend. Stir apple butter mixture into dry ingredients. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool 20 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes onto parchment-lined racks and cool completely.
• For Frosting:
• Beat cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Add molasses, butter and vanilla and beat just until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting decoratively over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate while preparing caramel.
• For Caramel:
• Stir sugar and cream in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Boil and stir 1 minute. Let stand until very thick but still pourable, about 5 minutes. Drizzle caramel over cake. Press nuts onto sides of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with Silpats; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine shortening and 1 cup sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and molasses, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat on low to combine.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice-cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll dough balls between the palms of your hands until smooth. Roll in sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in the center and begin to crack, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets once after 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack to cool, 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to rack until completely cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves and allspice; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and molasses; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed until blended. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sparkling sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
• Bake 9 to 11 minutes (tops will crack) or just until set. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.