Soft Ginger Cookies With Lemon Glaze
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
3 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
Frosting
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbsp soft butter
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp milk (more or less!)
In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and baking soda and set aside; it will foam up.
In a large mixer bowl place the vegetable oil, sugar, molasses, and eggs. Beat for 1 minute or until well mixed. Add the buttermilk mixture and blend.
Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Add slowly to the molasses mixture, and beat on medium speed until just blended.
Allow the batter to stand for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 325*
Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto oiled cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until the top of the cookies spring back when touched with your finger. Do not overbake, these cookies should be very soft, almost like little round gingerbreads.
While the cookies are baking, make frosting.
Frosting
In a mixer bowl, beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter, salt and lemon juice until smooth.
Blend in the lemon rind, vanilla and enough milk to make a smooth consistency.
Remove the baked cookies to a wax paper lined wire rack. Frost while warm, spreading about a 1/2 tsp of frosting over each cookie.
Let cool completely, then transfer to trays and place in the freezer to completely set the glaze or to freeze for storing.
Pack cookies in tins using wax paper to separate each layer.
These freeze very well. Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen
