Rose of Sharon Jewelry

I’m a stickler for holiday traditions (even those with Jell-O). My sis-in-law Olivia asked for the recipe so I thought I’d share it with all my readers.   And yes they do need the rum!

Joe Froggers are molasses cookies my Grandma made regularly in the winter. She stored them in coffee cans for us to dig into. A few years ago, I spent the afternoon with her (she was 100 then) making a batch of these spicy soft tummy warmers.

Enjoy! 

Joe Froggers

3-1/2 cup flour – sift together with the spices below

2 tsp salt

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp Allspice

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (use a bit when using pre-grated)

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup dark rum (Myer’s Dark Rum or your favorite)

1 cup dark molasses

• Cream together the shortening and sugar.  Sift together the flour, spices and baking soda above. Alternately add the flour/spice mixture with the liquid ingredients (water, rum molasses). Mix until thoroughly blended.
• This is a heavy dough so you’ll get a work out. If you use a mixer, use the paddle attachment.
• Form dough into a ball or log (I prefer the log as it makes the next step easier), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 12 hours.
• Roll the dough on a floured work surface into a rectangle (that’s why I use the log) about 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut into 4-inch circles (or your favorite size) and bake on parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Non-stick Silpat sheets work great too.
• Bake at 375 degrees until the tops just start to crack. Here’s where handed down recipes sometimes go astray – I never questioned Grandma’s instructions so grab a drink and watch them.
• The cookies will firm up when cooling and should be soft with a little chewy texture.

Joe Froggers are great shippers providing you put wax paper or plastic between them. They also store for long periods thanks to the rum!

I’ve got to share this recipe with my 12-year-old grandson, Hunter. He loves to cook and he needs to know how great these taste.

According to lore, the recipe dates to the late 1600 in Marblehead, MA where a African American tavern owner made these for his children and patrons. I think these cookies would actually go great with a beer but I personally prefer a glass of milk. Thanks Liv for asking for these!