by Joanne Fluke
MOLASSES WALNUT DROP COOKIES
DO NOT preheat the oven yet. This dough must chill before baking.
1 and ½ cups melted butter (3 sticks, 12 ounces, ¾ pound)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
½ cup molasses (I used Grandma’s Molasses)
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
¼ teaspoon cardamom (if you don’t have it, you can substitute more cinnamon for the cardamom)
4 and ¼ cups flour (don’t sift it—pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
Walnut halves to place on top of the cookies before baking if you DO NOT plan to glaze them with Brown Powdered Sugar Glaze. (Recipe follows.) If you DO plan to glaze your cookies, wait until you glaze them to place the walnut halves on top of your cookies.
Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat it on HIGH for 1 minute. Leave the bowl in the microwave for another minute and then check the butter after to see it’s melted. If it’s not, give it more time, in 20-second increments, until it is.
Take the bowl out of the microwave and mix in the white sugar. Mix until it’s all combined.
Add the molasses to the bowl and mix it in. Mix until it’s thoroughly incorporated.
Let the butter, sugar, and molasses mixture sit on the counter while you get out the eggs.
When the mixture in the bowl is not so hot it’ll cook the eggs, add them to the large bowl and stir them in thoroughly. Be sure to mix until they’re well combined.
Hannah’s 1st Note: This is a recipe that you can stir by hand if you wish, but it’s a lot easier if you use an electric mixer.
Sprinkle in the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.
Add the flour in one-cup increments, mixing after each addition.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: If you coat the inside of your measuring cup with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray before you measure the half-cup of molasses, it will slide right out of the measuring cup into your mixing bowl.
Hannah’s 3rd Note: Once you add the flour, your cookie dough will be very stiff. Don’t worry. This is exactly as it should be.
Mix in the chopped walnuts. If this is too difficult with a spoon, simply add the walnuts to the top of your mixing bowl and knead them in as you would if you were making bread.
Once the walnuts have been added and are incorporated into the cookie dough, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. (Overnight is even better.)
When you’re ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit, still covered with the plastic wrap, on your kitchen counter. It will need to warm just a bit so that you can work with it.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
While your oven is heating to the proper temperature, prepare your cookie sheets. You can either spray them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or line them with parchment paper. (The parchment paper is more expensive, but easier in the long run. If you use it, you can simply pull the paper over to the wire cooling rack, cookies and all. It’s also easier to glaze the cookies if they’re still on the parchment paper.)
Remove the plastic wrap from your cookie dough. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls with your impeccably clean hands and place them on a prepared cookie sheet, 12 dough balls to a standard-size sheet.
Press a walnut half down into the top of each dough ball.
Hannah’s 4th Note: If you form the dough into smaller dough balls, the cookies will be crisper. If you choose to do this, you’ll have to reduce the baking time. If I roll smaller balls, I start checking the Molasses Walnut Drop Cookies after 8 minutes in the oven.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until they’re nicely browned. The cookies will flatten out, all by themselves. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheets and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Hannah’s 5th Note: Molasses Walnut Drop Cookies freeze well. Roll them up in foil, the same way you’d roll coins in a wrapper, put them in a freezer bag, and they’ll be fine for 3 months or so.
Yield: 6 to 10 dozen (depending on the size of your dough balls) tasty, molasses-infused, and delicious cookies.
Once your cookies have baked and cooled, move them all to parchment paper on your kitchen counter and glaze them with Brown Powdered Sugar Glaze (recipe follows).
BROWN POWDERED SUGAR GLAZE
⅓ cup salted butter
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
4 to 6 Tablespoons milk
Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. (I use a quart Pyrex measuring cup.)
Pour the Tablespoon of molasses on top of the butter.
Heat the butter and molasses on HIGH for 15 seconds or until it has melted in the bottom of the bowl or cup.
Set the container with the melted butter on your kitchen counter.
Stir the butter and molasses together until they are well mixed.
Add the vanilla extract to the melted butter and stir it in.
Measure out two cups of powdered sugar. Pack the powdered sugar down in the cup when you measure it.
Hannah’s 1st Note: There’s no need to sift the powdered sugar unless it has big lumps in it. You are going to pack it down in the measuring cup anyway.
Fill a small cup with 6 Tablespoons of whole milk. You probably will NOT use all of this milk in this glaze, so don’t add it to your bowl quite yet.
Hannah’s 2nd Note: Sometimes, when I make these cookies for adults, I like to use rum instead of the milk. I don’t do this when I make the cookies for children because the alcohol is not baked into the cookie and may not fully evaporate.
Add the milk (or rum) to your bowl, one Tablespoon at a time, stirring it in as you go. You will add only enough milk (or rum) to make this glaze liquid enough to brush on top of your cookies.
When your glaze reaches the proper brushing consistency, brush the tops of your Molasses Walnut Drop Cookies with the glaze with a pastry brush.
Hannah’s 3rd Note: For years, I didn’t bother using a pastry brush. I took a small brush home from my father’s hardware store, washed it thoroughly and dried it, and used that. It worked just fine and if it got sticky and I couldn’t rinse it off well enough, I just stuck it on the top rack of the dishwasher and washed it that way.
Hannah’s 4th Note: If you don’t brush the glaze fast enough, your glaze may harden a bit. If this happens, simply stick the microwave-safe container back in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until the glaze is thin enough to brush again.
Chapter Fourteen
Her long day at The Cookie Jar was over and Hannah was sitting at the kitchen table at the condo, enjoying a tall glass of ginger ale with Norman. He was her guard for tonight, and Hannah and Michelle had promised to feed him dinner.
“I wish you’d brought Cuddles,” Hannah told him. “I know Moishe would like some playtime.”
“I can always go get her while you two relax a little,” Norman offered, finishing his glass of ginger ale and standing up. “But are you sure you’ll be all right here alone?”
“I’m not alone,” Hannah said, gesturing toward Michelle. “And we won’t let anyone in without checking the peephole. Go ahead, Norman. That’ll give us time to shower and change before dinner.”
Once Norman had left, Hannah turned to Michelle. “Do you think that Mike and Lonnie will show up for dinner?”
“Of course they will,” Michelle answered. “They’ll be here by the time we’re finished setting the table.”
Hannah laughed. “You’re right, of course. It’s a good thing we have plenty of Beery Good Beef Brisket.”
Less than a
n hour later, after the two sisters had showered and changed into comfortable, at-home clothing, Hannah came back into the kitchen. She was just stirring the Crock-Pot containing their dinner when there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it,” Michelle said, heading for the door.
“Hi, Norman,” Michelle greeted him as he came in with Cuddles in her carrier. “Just put her down right here and I’ll go get . . .” Michelle stopped speaking as an orange-and-white striped cat came racing down the hallway. “Never mind. I think Moishe knows that you went to get Cuddles.”
Hannah heard Moishe give the special yowl that was reserved for his favorite kitty friend. “Moishe’s happy!” she called out from the kitchen. “Let her out, Norman. But please wait until I pour another ginger ale for you and get our wineglasses out of the refrigerator. We stuck them there right after you left because we wanted to wait until you got back. Then all three of us can do feet up while Cuddles and Moishe chase each other.”
A few moments later, Hannah and Michelle were seated with Norman on the leather couch in Hannah’s living room. “You were here much faster than I thought you’d be,” Hannah commented, lifting her feet up and motioning to Norman and Michelle to do the same. “Feet up! Here come the cats!”
Pounding feline footfalls thundered down the hallway and Moishe skidded around the corner into the living room, followed a scant second later by Cuddles, who was in hot pursuit.
“Round one,” Michelle said right after the cats had run past them and were making a circle around the perimeter of the kitchen. “We’re safe for a couple of minutes.”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Hannah warned, as Michelle placed her wineglass back on the coffee table. “The second lap is about to begin and it’ll be even faster than the first.”
Feline footfalls sounded again, pounding closer and closer against the carpet in the hallway until the cats came thundering into the living room to streak past their upraised feet. The tandem racers disappeared around the back of the couch and sped into the kitchen, where their claws scrabbled against the floor. A second or two later, they zoomed back down the hallway for the second time in as many minutes.
“One more lap?” Michelle asked Norman.
“I think so. Cuddles didn’t look all that tired yet.”
“Neither did Moishe,” Hannah added. “If he’s tired, he always looks at me with his tongue out.”
“That’s a good sign,” Norman agreed. “If Cuddles is in the lead this time around, they’re almost ready to leave the feline speedway.”
Michelle giggled. “I like that, Norman, and it’s true. Hannah’s condo gets turned into a feline speedway when Cuddles comes over to visit.”
With feet up and clutching their glasses, the three of them waited for the thundering duo to come down the hallway. There were several seconds of silence and then they heard the staccato thudding of racing paws.
“Here they come!” Norman said, grinning at Michelle and Hannah. “If we’re lucky, Cuddles will be in the lead this time and that’ll mean it’s the last lap.”
The felines careened around the corner and headed down the straightaway past the couch. Cuddles was, indeed, in the lead, and Moishe was close behind her.
“Is it over?” Michelle asked when the cats had zipped past them.
“I think so,” Norman answered, “but Cuddles’ eyes didn’t look quite wild enough.”
“And Moishe still had plenty of speed,” Hannah commented. “Let’s keep a grip on our glasses just in case.”
Slowly, cautiously, Hannah, Norman, and Michelle lowered their feet to the carpet. They sat there listening for what seemed like long minutes, but was probably only a few seconds. There was no sound from Hannah’s bedroom, and all three of them began to relax.
“I think it’s over,” Michelle said, placing her wineglass back on the coffee table.
“Agreed.” Norman nodded, and he put his soda glass next to Michelle’s glass.
“I’m not so sure,” Hannah said, keeping her wineglass and listening intently for any sound emanating from her bedroom. “Usually I can hear them purring by now. I’m going to give them another minute or two before I put down my glass.”
And then it happened, the pounding of feline feet on the carpet in a mad rush back to the living room. Hannah barely had time to tuck her feet back up on the couch before the cats were rounding the corner again.
“Uh-oh!” Michelle grabbed her glass and executed a maneuver that any yoga instructor would have been proud to see, raising her legs and tucking them under her, hoping that she was in time to avoid a furry feline ankle crash.
“I got it, I think!” Norman grabbed his ginger ale, propped his feet on top of Hannah’s lap, and gave her an apologetic grin. “Sorry, Hannah. I didn’t have time to tuck.”
“No problem,” Hannah said, laughing. “Oh, no! Moishe’s almost skidded into the corner!”
On this last and final lap, the cats screeched past them three times, rounding the back of the couch with claws digging in hard to make the corners and then flying past them. Their fur was ruffled, their ears were laid flat against their heads, and their tails were straight out behind them. It was a game and they knew it, but they were acting as if they were racing for their lives.
“Are they done?” Michelle asked as the cats headed back down the hallway to the bedroom.
“Listen,” Hannah advised, holding her finger to her lips.
As all three of them listened, there was a thud and then a second, softer thud. A rustling ensued for several seconds and then all three of them heard the sound of loud purring.
“They’re done,” Hannah declared. “They’re both on the bed, nestled in the feather pillows, purring because they caused so much havoc.”
“But they think it’s fun,” Michelle added.
“Right,” Norman said. “And they love to see us react.”
They sat there for a moment, sipping their drinks and catching their collective breath. And then Hannah stood up.
“I have to stir the dinner in the Crock-Pot,” she said.
“And I have to get everything else ready,” Michelle stated, also rising to her feet.
“Can I do anything to help you?” Norman asked.
“I don’t think so, unless . . .” Hannah stopped speaking and looked thoughtful. “Would you mind running next door to Marguerite and Clara’s place? I’d like to ask Marguerite to join us for dinner if Clara doesn’t mind. I know Clara can’t join us because of her allergies, but we can always deliver her dinner. And if Marguerite comes here, she’ll have a chance to see Cuddles again.”
“Great idea!” Norman declared, heading for the door. “You girls go ahead and do what you have to do. I’ll invite Marguerite and be right back to help you.”
Hannah was stirring the contents of the Crock-Pot when there was another knock on the door.
“I’ll get it,” Michelle said, hurrying to answer the door. “It’s probably Norman and he locked himself out.”
Hannah listened, but she didn’t hear Norman’s voice. Instead, she heard Michelle greet Lonnie.
“Hi, Lonnie! Did Mike’s food-dar kick into high gear because we were cooking dinner?”
“Not exactly. We were next door at Marguerite and Clara’s condo when Norman came by.”
“Were you visiting them?” Michelle asked.
“No, Marguerite called the sheriff’s department and we came right out.”
Hannah clamped the lid back on the slow cooker and hurried to intercept Lonnie and Michelle. “Is something wrong with Marguerite or Clara?”
Lonnie nodded. “Yes, Marguerite called us an hour ago to tell us about Clara’s accident. Mike and I jumped in the cruiser and came out here right away. Mike’s still over there trying to calm them down and Norman’s helping him.”
“What kind of accident did Clara have?” Hannah asked as she ushered Lonnie into the kitchen, gestured to a chair at the kitchen table, and gave him a cup of coffee. “Is Cl
ara hurt?”
“No, just frightened. She was outside, taking photos of that big pine tree at the edge of the complex, when someone ran out of the woods, pushed her down in the snow, and stole her cell phone.”
“Good heavens!” Hannah exchanged shocked glances with Michelle. “But why didn’t Marguerite call us? Michelle and I would have helped them.”
“She tried to, but you weren’t home yet. Neither were Lorna or Phil or Sue Plotnik. So Marguerite called the sheriff’s station, and Mike answered her call.”
Hannah glanced at her apple-shaped kitchen clock to see what time it was. “Phil and Sue always take Kevin over to his sister’s place on the weekends, and Lorna’s probably working late. Poor Clara. She must be terribly upset.”
“She’s more angry than upset. She hadn’t downloaded her shadow photos and now she doesn’t have them for her painting class. And to make matters even worse, she had her house key in her pocket and it must have fallen out when she tumbled into the snow.”
