TWD: Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies

I know it has been a really long time since I last posted. I would love to say that I have been out saving the world, solving world hunger (but telling no one...do you know the quote?), or something honorable like that.

Nope, not been doing that. Instead I've been celebrating my and my hubby's birthday!

My birthday was on October 28th, and my husband's was on November 2nd. So to celebrate our birthdays, my husband was so wonderful and took me to Florence, Italy! We spent 9 glorious days exploring the Tuscan area and just plain enjoying ourselves.

And then we came back, but my mind was not quite out of vacation mode. I really wanted to get back in the kitchen, but most of me just wanted to get back in bed. Was is it about vacations that makes it relaxing and tiring at the same time? Crazy.

But I'm back and baking. And I have every intention of making up the TWD and DB that I missed. I have not forgotten. Just give me a little bit of time. I'll be back on track in no time.


So for this week's TWD, I chose to make Sugar-Topped Molasses Cookies, which was chosen by Pamela of Cookies with Boys. TWD is different this month because we get to choose the order in which we make the goodies.

And these cookies did not disappoint. They were a taste of Christmas. And I love Christmas. Christmas and me are like this (imagine me crossing my fingers...yeah, like that.)

I was excited about making these cookies, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to find molasses. I looked in the stores that I usually go to. I asked my coworkers if they had seen it anywhere, but no luck. Then, on my way back from a day trip to Leptis Magna (a Roman ruin site in Libya), there were some vendors on the side of the road selling honey and some black liquid. I was intrigued but nervous. I like the stability of prepackaged things, so buying from a street vendor scares me a little. But the guy let us taste the honey and the black stuff. It tasted a little like molasses. I decided to with it. I'm not exactly sure what it is because it's much thinner than molasses, but then again, I'm not sure I want to know. I'm just going to pretend it's watered down molasses. And I don't want anyone to bust my bubble of ignorance. :)

So into my cookies the "molasses" went, and it produced a pretty scrumptious cookie. Jacob said it was like gingerbread or gingersnaps. Any way you slice it, they were yummy. So yummy, I decided to bring some of them over to my first home visit to one of my Libyan coworkers. And they went over so well, she asked for the recipe. Now that's going to be a challenge. She speaks only a little English, and I speak next to no Arabic, so translating a recipe is going to be difficult. Throw in the fact that Libyans don't bake much so measuring cups and spoons are not that common, and you've got one big heaping challenge. But we'll figure it out. Gestures, drawing, estimates, and dumb luck and we'll get it.

If my Libyan coworker wants to make this and she doesn't bake much, you know you have to try them. So do it! And check out what the other TWDers did this week.