I like to do a little decorating around the house for fall. When the kids were little, decorations were heavy on the Halloween. But as they’ve grown older, I’ve gone to a more generic autumnal…thing. 
I bought several antique amber glass fairy lamps to use for candles, and they look both warm and sparkly when the candles are lit. On the mantlepiece, surrounded by red-tailed hawk feathers we found, needle-felted wool acorns, and porcelain pumpkins, the fairy lamps are my little harbingers of autumn. And while I love Christmas and its trappings, I must say I love the fact that my fall decorating is done in about 20 minutes (as opposed to Christmas decorating, which takes all day).
We do put up some Halloween decorations; it’s just not the focus anymore. My surprised Jack- o’-Lanterns make me smile, and I still put out other little bits and pieces that remind me of small children dressed like lions or pumpkins. The holidays change as our families change, and sometimes that makes me a bit sad. But onward and upward! Just as my fairy lamps are the harbinger of fall, change is the harbinger of life going on, and that’s a good thing.
But some things do stay the same. Cinnamon, cloves, and ginger are an integral part of autumn. Even though I’ll make these cookies in, say, May, they are really quintessential autumn sweets. Now as far as these molasses cookies go, this is a recipe that my mother got from Auntie Sally, the dear friend she met when my sister was in
preschool, lo these 40-odd years ago (egad!). The recipe states it’s from 1966. It’s easy and reliable, and it only makes a few dozen, which is nice when you don’t want to be baking for hours. Use full-flavor molasses, not the light flavor or gentle flavor or however they put it. It’s integral to the taste. And please do not get all uppity about the use of shortening–these are my very favorite molasses cookies. Oh, I go catting around, trying out other recipes, but my little 45-year-old recipe card sits and patiently waits for me, knowing I’ll be back. And I always am.
Molasses Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
5 Tbl. dark molasses ( I only use Brer Rabbit full flavor, green label)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet or use a Silpat instead. Mix all ingredients. Roll into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and press down lightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
The Vacaville Housewife 