Gingerdoodle Cookies
When I got married, I asked my husband if we could change our last name to Cupcake.. so that if we had kids we could be known as the “Cupcake” family. He wasn’t really into that idea, but when I changed my last married name, I did fill out paperwork asking to add Cupcake to my middle name. Being a cupcake queen is truly who I am and will always be, so I was willing to make a commitment.
But cupcakes are not the only thing I make. I am not going to be humble about this.. I make some pretty amazing cookies. I think they are amazing not only because they are soft and warm and always have a touch of glitter on top.. but also because I have never really been into selling them or making a profit on them. I normally deliver cookies to people when they could really go for a cookie: when a friend has a baby, to a neighbor during a pandemic, shipped to a friend in California for her birthday. I remember when my uncle was on hospice I brought batches of cookies over to his house as a comfort food. I think that’s why my cookies are extra special. They’re supposed to be this little treasure or token of my love and support.
GINGERDOODLES!
Gingerdoodles
The Recipe
Inspired by sassy spicy sparkly gingers everywhere ♥
Ingredients (makes appx 24 cookies, depending on size of cookie dough balls):
3/4 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg (sometimes I add an additional egg at the end if dough is too crumbly)
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling (set aside in a small bowl)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325. Cream shortening and brown sugar together until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients/spices and set aside. Add egg, vanilla, molasses and whip into butter/sugar until mixture turns a light brown color. Alternate the addition of dry ingredients until everything is combined.
Measure a teaspoon sized ball of gingerdoodle dough and hand roll, then dip and roll the cookie balls into glittery sugar, placing each cookie on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before baking (for a puffier fluffier, less flat cookie experience). Bake at 325 for approximately 9 minutes (you do not want to overbake these, they are best when soft in the middle) .
***I am a huge fan of real butter, and you can use it in the recipe but your cookie will bake out more flat than the puffy effect you get when baking with shortening in this recipe.
Amanda Cupcake
I moved out to Los Angeles from a small Wisconsin town to become a fashion designer, and unexpectedly started my life as a fashion designer for cupcakes instead of people (back in my hometown, a decade later). I am a public figure, locally known as the pink haired quirky & soothing sweet baker who bedazzles my cupcake designs on local television morning shows. I thought my dream was to sell my cupcakes in retailers all over the nation, but in the process discovered that my cupcakes are a medium for me to use my voice. Through my hardships I searched for a light, and that is how I discovered this character I created-Amanda Cupcake. People have called me a real life Rainbow Brite. I think that this pink haired cupcake queen is what my soul looks like! I'm also a 40 something mom to a little ginger named Rebel, who is quickly growing!
