Dec 3rd-9th

December 3rd - 9th

We love Winter Quarters. The weather has moderated and it's beginning to look like Christmas all over the area with Outside Christmas displays on homes and businesses.  We have our apartment decorated and the hallways of Woodbridge Apt are also decorated.

We had an great Sacrament meeting this Week. All the talks and prayers were given in the Karen Language.  The spirit was strong and was very enjoyable to listen to testimonies of two recent converts.

We have some more gingerbread pictures.  It is really busy here this time of year and so fun!

I have another Pioneer Christmas Story

The Case of the Missing Molasses

Orderville, Utah—One December evening some of the sisters of Orderville met to plan a Christmas treat for the children. The Order had no luxuries and the necessities were strictly rationed. About the only sweets the people had was molasses, so, the sisters decided to make molasses candy and cookies for the youngsters.

But on Christmas Eve, they came to “Grandmother Spencer,” wife of Howard Orson Spencer, bishop and leader in Orderville, with the news that the brother in charge of the molasses “won’t let us have any. He says our allowance for the month is already used.” Grandmother’s lips tightened. “The children are going to have something for Christmas. I’ll speak to my husband after dinner—he’ll give us permission.”

When her husband came in tired and hungry, Sister Spencer hovered over her husband and after dinner urged him to rest by the fire. As he sat looking drowsily into the flames, she said in a low voice, “You do think the children should have some candy and cookies for Christmas, don’t you Howard?” “Ummmhmmm,” was the sleepy response, and grandmother went away smiling. She reported to the ladies that everything was all right, “My husband has given us permission.” “Did he say we could have the molasses?” asked one doubting Thomas. “He didn’t say ‘No,’” replied Sister Spencer truthfully. “Now we won’t wake up the brother in charge of the molasses. We’ll just slip out and take what we need.”

The man in charge of the molasses barrel was very conscious of his responsibility. On the lid of the barrel he had placed a section of heavy logging chain and a large boulder. Only a thin wooden partition at the head of the bed separated him from the barrel outside, and he was a light sleeper. Shivering from the cold the women crunched through the snow toward the barrel. It was beginning to snow again and the night was very dark.

With infinite caution they removed the heavy chain without so much as one betraying clank. It took the combined efforts of all the women to lower the boulder noiselessly to the ground. There was a breathless pause as Sister Spencer raised the lid and dipped into the barrel with a saucepan. She emptied its contents into a bucket and dipped again, and again. “We have enough now,” whispered one of the women. “Let’s go back.” With the same caution the chain and boulder were replaced and the women filed back to the warm kitchen to make the Christmas goodies. But, there was a dismayed gasp when they looked into the pail. “Oh dear, we haven’t enough molasses. We’ll have to get some more.” “Oh no, Sister Spencer. It’s cold and dark. It’s too risky.” “Well, just the same, we must unless we want the children to be disappointed.”

There could only be one answer to such a statement and the little band of mothers went again to the molasses barrel. They returned safely and set to work. When morning came, every child in Orderville had two molasses cookies and one big slightly sticky lump of candy in his stocking. Santa Claus had not forgotten them. Grandfather insisted all his life that he could not remember ever having given the women permission to get the molasses.

Our Pioneer Heritage, 18 (1975): 160–61

Pioneer Molasses Cookies
2 dozen
Ingredients

1-1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup molasses
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coarse sugar

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Fold in pecans.Shape into 2-in. balls and roll in coarse sugar.  Place 2-1/2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake 13-15 minutes or until tops are cracked. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Molasses is a byproduct of refining cane or beets into sugar. Light and dark molasses are made from the first and second refining processes, respectively. Blackstrap, made from the third procedure, is the strongest, darkest and most intensely flavored of the three. Dark molasses works well in most recipes.For easy cleanup, spritz the measuring cup with a little cooking spray before measuring the sticky molasses.Check out more sweet and spicy cookies that are made with molasses.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 310 calories, 13g fat (7g saturated fat), 48mg cholesterol, 219mg sodium, 46g carbohydrate (27g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.

Molasses Candy

2 cups sugar
1 cup molasses

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

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Directions

Prep
20 m

Cook
10 m

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Bring the sugar, molasses, water, and vinegar to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the sugar has reached the hard ball stage, 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball.Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and baking soda. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, and allow to cool until cool enough to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.Once cool enough to handle, fold the taffy in half, then pull to double its original length. Continue folding and pulling until the taffy has turned golden brown, and is too stiff to pull anymore. Cut the taffy into bite sized pieces, and wrap in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.