Autumn cookies/Air freshener

I am amazed at the number of air freshener commercials on television. Fresheners that automatically squirt at innocent passersby on cue, beads in bowls, faux candles, electric fans to circulate smells. First of all, how are these people’s homes getting so stinky to begin with, that they require these constant air freshener vigils? Second in this age of being ‘green’ how do people reconcile the constant distribution of chemicals throughout their homes and using electrical power to do so? Clearly based on the sheer number of advertisements, someone is buying these products.

I have a better answer – get to the kitchen and bake some cookies! Another nice way to make the home smell festive is to save your apple cores and peels, orange peels and pop them into a saucepan with a stick of cinnamon and a few whole cloves. Simmer on the stove for a while and the fragrance is amazing. You can also fool people into thinking you’ve spent the weekend baking apple pies. But I digress, back to the cookies.

Autumn here in the south brings us mostly temperate days and cool nights but occasionally we get cold and rainy. On those days, rather than turn on the heat, I crank up the oven. If you think you don’t have time, these cookies will dispel that notion. They are quick to assemble, quick to bake and really taste and smell of autumn to me.




Gingersnaps!

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 large egg
Granulated white sugar for coating

Preparation

Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture. Add molasses and egg and beat until dough is well combined and dough gets fluffier. Chill dough for 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Roll dough into balls about an inch in diameter. Roll balls into white sugar and place onto baking sheet lined with silpat or lightly greased (I prefer the silpat). Flatten cookies with the base of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake in center of preheated oven 10-12 minutes.

That’s it! How easy is that? I love the smell of the ginger, cinnamon and molasses. These cookies aren’t overly sweet so they are great with coffee or milk as an afternoon snack. Mine will find their way to my brother up in Philly who has been going through some changes in his life. What better way to add fragrance to your home, warmth to your house and your family?