I Had a Bad Day So I Baked Cookies and Ate Too Many

Today was just one of those days. You know when one thing goes wrong and then everything else seems to go wrong and the phones seem to ring off the hook and you want to yell at everybody? Well, I had one of those days today. By noon, all I wanted was my fuzzy slippers, my kitty, and a glass of wine.

I had actually planned on posting my brother's birthday brownie bars tonight, but when I started writing the post, I could still feel the pangs of the day poking at my sides. So why fight this? If I find baking to be cathartic and writing even more so, why not let out exactly how I feel...and sugar coat it, both metaphorically and literally?

So here goes...

Feel better already? Yeah, me too.

So at some point during my long, arduous day, I got a craving for molasses cookies (Yes, I'm still on a molasses kick). And I realized I have all the ingredients I need, and, since I couldn't find the recipe that made me fall in love with them last year, I decided to use The Pioneer Woman's Spicy Molasses Cookies recipe, and tweak it to my liking.

Waiting for them to bake may have been the second hardest part of my day.

But in the end, the bad day and prepping and baking time only made these cookies that much chewyer, gooeyer, and transcendental. ...okay, maybe they weren't that good. But I feel better (aside from being so darn full!)

Here's how to make your day better:

Spicy Molasses Better Day Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. white sugar (plus extra for rolling)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 large egg

1/4 c. unsulphured molasses

2 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a large cookie sheet.

In a stand up mixer, or with a handheld mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add the egg and molasses and mix until well incorporated.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/molasses mixture. Once it is all well incorporated, use a cookie scoop or a teaspoon to roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls on plate of granulated sugar until coated. Place on baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool slightly before moving onto a wire rack.

Cookies are best when eaten warm and fresh from the oven. Enjoy!