Charleston Plantation Cookies
These are great served warm from the oven with
your favorite ice cream, but you'll probably
need to double the recipe -- the cookies are
that good.
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 6 tablespoons sorghum or black molasses
- 1 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 heavy-duty
baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment
paper.
2. Using the flat beater, beat 1 cup of the
sugar and all of the butter in the bowl of an
electric mixer until the mixture is light in
color. Beat in the egg. Scrape down the sides
of the bowl and beat in the sorghum or molasses.
Beat in 1/2 cup of the peanuts.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour,
baking soda, ginger,cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Add to the dough and mix well, scraping down
the bowl at least once.
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup
of peanuts with the remaining 1/2 cup plus 2
tablespoons of sugar. Scoop out the dough 2 tablespoons
at a time. Form the dough into balls about the
size of golf balls. Roll them in the peanut and
sugar mixture and place on the lined baking sheets.
5. Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for
20 to 24 minutes. About half way through the
baking, switch the sheets from one rack to the
other and reverse them back to front. This ensures
more even baking. The cookies should be watched
closely at the end of the cooking time. As soon
as the edges are set,they are finished baking.
They can overcook very quickly. Remove cookies
from the oven and place on wire baking racks
to cool. Stored in an airtight container, they
will keep for several days. They also freeze
well. Makes about twenty-four 2" cookies.
from Charleston Cuisine by
Louis Osteen
