This recipe is from my Grandmother McIntyre. Every Sunday night as I was growing up, we drove twenty miles to Saginaw, MI, to visit our grandparents, my mother's and my father's parents. We always left Grandma Mac's house with a box of home made cookies. The big soft molasses were one of my favorites.

Scan of Grandma's Molasses Cookies Recipe

Here's the recipe in Grandma's own handwriting. I scribbled in that 1 T vanilla some time in the past.

Molasses Cookies

1 and 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c dark molasses
1 c lard (margarine)
1 egg
1 c buttermilk, or sweet milk and 1 T vinegar
1 rounded tsp soda in the milk
3 and 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 c raisins (optional)

1. Mix in the order named.
2. Roll a quarter of the dough at a time, about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Cut with a 3 inch round cutter.
4. When placing the cookies onto a greased cookie sheet, allow room for them to spread.

Bake at 350°

These may be made a drop cookies. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet, and flatten with a tumbler dipped in flour.