Aunt Clara's Ginger Cookies

Some family traditions originate from the family you were born into, while others come from the family you make later. These cookies are now part of my family Christmas tradition, but Aunt Clara was actually my mother-in-law's aunt. I have never met her before, but I think of her around Christmas every year now when I make these delicious cookies.

Aunt Clara's ginger cookies will fill your whole house with the scent of spicy ginger goodness, and the warmth of the holiday season will be undeniable when you bake these. The original recipe was of course not vegan and called for one egg, but I always substitute the equivalent of one egg's worth of egg replacer and it works great.

Aunt Clara's Ginger Cookies
3/4 cup vegan butter
1 cup sugar
1 "egg"
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves (I actually cut this to 1/2 teaspoon, just because I like a little less clove).

Cream together the vegan butter and the sugar, adding in the molasses and "egg" once it is mixed. After this is blended well, stir in the rest of the ingredients and mix by hand to form the dough. Shape into teaspoon-sized balls and roll in sugar. Bake at 350 for 9 to 12 minutes. (Just a note, they will start out puffy and then flatten as the cool.) That's it! These are great to bring to a holiday party, to wrap in pretty paper and give as gifts, or just to eat and enjoy yourself with hot apple cider or a nice cup of tea.