Chocolate Castles as wel

Since the weather has cooled, it has been delightful to sit down at night and flip through old issues of Southern Living Christmas. This recipe was in the 2006 edition. I can’t believe it had slipped by me in the past. I am trying to stay out of my retired hubbies way, which means more time in the kitchen. Not to say that we aren’t enjoying being together 24/7, 1440 minutes a day, but who is counting! Just like this past Friday, when he called after he got out of men’s Bible study at church. He ask what I was up to and if I was enjoying being at the house by myself. I guess I shouldn’t have said that it was just wonderful and I was loving the quiet solitude, but it slipped out before I realized it. When I responded that I had had my own time of Bible study and had just finished praying for him, that the Lord would give him the desires of his heart (of course I meant him getting a job as that is what he is wanting), he came back with, “so you will be gone when I get home?”  I will be putting more butter and an extra egg yolk, here and there, into his desserts that I make him, we wouldn’t want his cholesterol to get too low, now would we?

So back to this recipe. I am headed to the kitchen as soon as I post this. It sounds perfect to package up and take to friends. It doesn’t have enough butter or eggs for me to give Randy. Oops, did that come out hostile?

These will make an ideal gift, packaged with a pretty Christmas or Thanksgiving bow to take to your hostess..

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 up molasses

2 1/2 cup flour

1 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

1 1/2 teas ground ginger

1 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas ground nutmeg

1/4 teas ground cloves

1/4 teas salt

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl at medium speed with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. beat in molasses.

Combine flour and next 7 ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in almonds.

Divide dough in half, using floured hands, shape each portion into a 9″ x 2″  on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until firm. Cool on baking sheet 5 min. Remove to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 300.

Cut each log diagonally into 3/4″ thick slices with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Place slices on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, turn cookies over and bake 8 to 10 more min. Cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen